Pros: Compact; elegant design; attachment point on the main body.
Cons: Slow; no USB extension cord; no password protection software.
Verdict: The lack of performance and data security will deter many from considering this flash drive. For $10 to 15 more, the JumpDrive Traveler might be a better choice.
When a company stops bloating its press release with performance ratings and catchy phrases, there might be something fishy about the product. This is half true in the case of Lexar’s JumpDrive Elite (256MB reviewed) where the company doesn’t promise anything beside boasting it as having 177 floppies in your pocket. In reality, the Hi-Speed USB flash drive has several smart designs from which other manufacturers could learn.
Smart, Elegant Designs The JumpDrive Elite sports a pearl white shell with a snap-on cap that is attachable to both ends of the drives to prevent misplacing it. The flash drive also answers calls to many buyers who would rather want the attachment point for the key ring on the main body than on the cap. There’s even a writeable strip on the back of the drive for pencil marking.
Physically, the JumpDrive Elite (2.75” x 0.75” x 0.5”) cannot compare to Iomega Micro Mini’s size (1.57” x 0.71” x 0.34”), but it is tad smaller than JumpDrive 2.0 Pro (3.0” x 1.06” 0.43”). Unfortunately, the JumpDrive Elite neither comes additional caps nor USB extended cord for accessing hard-to-reach USB ports. The package also omits any kind of password protection or partition software. You might be better off with a Lexar JumpDrive Traveler or JumpDrive Sport for more data security.
Not So Fast For a Hi-Speed USB optimized flash drive, the JumpDrive Elite’s data transfers lag behind most competitors and even its older sibling. Since Lexar didn’t disclose performance ratings, we ran SiSoftware Sandra 2004 to benchmark the JumpDrive Elite. In comparison with Lexar JumpDrive 2.0 Pro with 6MB/s write and 4MB/s write speeds, the much newer JumpDrive Elite surprised us with rather slow 3MB/s read and 1.6MB/s write speeds on 2MB file tests, which usually show the highest transfer rate during sequential access to the drive.
As with other USB flash drives, data transfer rates dropped significantly for small file size tests (512B, 512kB, 256kB). The JumpDrive Elite could drop to around 125KB/s when writing large number of 32kB files. Comparatively, Sandisk Cruzer Mini and Freecom USB Card didn’t fare much better in the same tests either.
Sandra 2004 Benchmark Data Combined Index : 526 operation(s)/min
Endurance Factor : 1.0
512B Files Test : 638 operation(s)/min
32kB Files Test : 576 operation(s)/min
256kB Files Test : 356 operation(s)/min
2MB Files Test : 75 operation(s)/min
Performance Test Status
Run ID : YOUR-EF77GZTJ0E on Saturday, 13 March, 2004 at 13:33:46
Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, MacOS 8.6, MacOS 9.1, MacOS X
Dimensions
2.75" x 0.75" x 0.5"
Capacity
256MB
Read performance Average substained rate
--
Write performance Average substained rate
--
Data protection method
None
Software
None
Additional media compatibility
None
Accessories
--
Extra function(s)
--
Material of casing
--
Power source
Bus-powered
Warranty
One year
Extras Lost a USB cable? Get a replacement USB cable.
Running out of USB ports? Get an extra USB hub.
You may need a new USB card to achieve Hi-Speed USB speeds.
Confirm with our USB 2.0 FAQ if you have Hi-Speed USB on your PC.
