It's official, the floppy drive is dead. Indeed, Dell and a plethora of other PC manufacturers have simply stopped including the decades-old drive, thanks in no small part to the smaller, lighter, and faster USB flash drive that can carry over 1,000 times the standard 3.5" floppy. We've watched the evolution of the portable data disk, but now it's time to take that evolution a step further.
Two Letters for the Price of One
The first time we plugged our retail Geek Squad U3 Smart Drive into the computer, Windows automatically recognized the drive and set the Add New Hardware wizard to work, identifying not one but two drives taking up two drive letters.
A small, 4MB read-only system partition of the U3 drive pretends to be a CD-ROM drive, while the data partition shows up as a regular flash drive. Because Windows is led to believe that the system partition is a CD, U3 takes advantage of the AutoPlay feature in windows to automatically run the U3 LaunchPad and unlock the data partition of the drive. It should be noted that U3 will run on any Windows 2000/XP system, regardless if the user has administrative rights or not.
After the LaunchPad's animated splash screen disappeared, we were greeted by an Oddcast talking presentation of the U3 platform's features and a quick intro of how to use the LaunchPad and download additional applications. Kudos goes to whoever thought of using the Oddcast system for a quick intro of how to use the drive, as it provides a user-friendly way for new users and computer-illiterate types to quickly jump into using the drive.
Apps Ahoy!
The LaunchPad is the heart of the U3 smart drive, and bears a striking resemblance to the Windows XP start menu. Accessed from a U3 icon in the system tray, it provides quick access to applications and documents installed on the U3 smart drive, as well as mean to manage them.
The left side of the LaunchPad lists the installed applications and next to their icons, with a convenient Download Programs link underneath that links to the U3 software catalog. The right side of the LaunchPad contains links to open the data partition in an explorer window, manage installed apps and the drive itself, and get help.
Programs can be either downloaded via the built-in web browser (barebones Internet Explorer), or installed from a file on the local computer. In the case of the Geek Squad drive, we are given a third option to download software from the Geek Squad's software catalog (actually hosted by M-Systems, one of the U3 co-founders), which is just the three applications and intro that came preloaded. Not that it matters to most users, but there are two file-types associated with the U3 platform. *.u3i is an XML-based text file that defines the application's version, download path and working parameters, whereas *.u3p is a zip file containing everything needed to run an application.
Most users will find themselves downloading new programs from software.u3.com. While somewhat quirky in design, the site organizes the various applications into 9 different overlapping categories that can then be sorted by name, price, or download availability. Quick links to download freeware or trialware allow users to quickly try software before making a purchase decision. A Top-5 Downloads and Coming Soon section also help to see what new applications everyone's raving about.
Once a U3 application is installed on the drive, you can specify the order in which it appears in the LaunchPad, and tell it to start every time the drive is plugged into a computer. Detailed statistics on the version, footprint of the program, last run time, and vendor are also available.
For Your Eyes Only
It's possible to lock down the U3 smart drive's data partition with a password so that files will remain secure from prying eyes, complete with password hint. When security is enabled, the CD-ROM partition will load first, and will only enable the data partition after authentication. A password hint can be specified for those with bad memories, and in a worst case scenario the entire data partition can be erased if the password is truly forgotten. Enabling security comes at the expense of backwards compatibility however. Because U3 is only compatible with Windows 2000 and XP, any Mac, Linux, or Windows 98/ME users will not be able to authenticate themselves to see the partition. When plugged into a Mac running OS X 10.3, we didn't see the data partition at all until security was disabled. Users working in a cross-platform environment may wish to look into an alternative security application to secure their documents. Also, it is unclear if files stored on the drive are encrypted or not, but most likely they are not because it takes mere seconds to enable security for a near-full 512MB drive.
U3 is an important step in the evolution of how we get our work done. User-friendly and well documented, U3 smart drives are something that we could actually give to our grandparents without worrying about how many times they'll be calling us for tech support. In the future when office applications are released, parents can send their U3-equipped kids off to college knowing that they can get their work done on any of the school computers without having to buy an expensive laptop. Perhaps most importantly, people with multiple computers will actually be legal and don't have to deal with paying over $300 on products like Office thanks to End User License Agreements (EULAs) being written per flash drive instead of per computer. About the only thing we can see wrong with the U3 platform is the lack of cross-platform compatibility, but that might change later on now that Macs are going x86.
By Scott Clark, Consumer Technology Editor
The first time we plugged our retail Geek Squad U3 Smart Drive into the computer, Windows automatically recognized the drive and set the Add New Hardware wizard to work, identifying not one but two drives taking up two drive letters.
A small, 4MB read-only system partition of the U3 drive pretends to be a CD-ROM drive, while the data partition shows up as a regular flash drive. Because Windows is led to believe that the system partition is a CD, U3 takes advantage of the AutoPlay feature in windows to automatically run the U3 LaunchPad and unlock the data partition of the drive. It should be noted that U3 will run on any Windows 2000/XP system, regardless if the user has administrative rights or not.
After the LaunchPad's animated splash screen disappeared, we were greeted by an Oddcast talking presentation of the U3 platform's features and a quick intro of how to use the LaunchPad and download additional applications. Kudos goes to whoever thought of using the Oddcast system for a quick intro of how to use the drive, as it provides a user-friendly way for new users and computer-illiterate types to quickly jump into using the drive.
Apps Ahoy!The LaunchPad is the heart of the U3 smart drive, and bears a striking resemblance to the Windows XP start menu. Accessed from a U3 icon in the system tray, it provides quick access to applications and documents installed on the U3 smart drive, as well as mean to manage them.
The left side of the LaunchPad lists the installed applications and next to their icons, with a convenient Download Programs link underneath that links to the U3 software catalog. The right side of the LaunchPad contains links to open the data partition in an explorer window, manage installed apps and the drive itself, and get help.
Programs can be either downloaded via the built-in web browser (barebones Internet Explorer), or installed from a file on the local computer. In the case of the Geek Squad drive, we are given a third option to download software from the Geek Squad's software catalog (actually hosted by M-Systems, one of the U3 co-founders), which is just the three applications and intro that came preloaded. Not that it matters to most users, but there are two file-types associated with the U3 platform. *.u3i is an XML-based text file that defines the application's version, download path and working parameters, whereas *.u3p is a zip file containing everything needed to run an application.
Most users will find themselves downloading new programs from software.u3.com. While somewhat quirky in design, the site organizes the various applications into 9 different overlapping categories that can then be sorted by name, price, or download availability. Quick links to download freeware or trialware allow users to quickly try software before making a purchase decision. A Top-5 Downloads and Coming Soon section also help to see what new applications everyone's raving about.
Once a U3 application is installed on the drive, you can specify the order in which it appears in the LaunchPad, and tell it to start every time the drive is plugged into a computer. Detailed statistics on the version, footprint of the program, last run time, and vendor are also available.
For Your Eyes OnlyIt's possible to lock down the U3 smart drive's data partition with a password so that files will remain secure from prying eyes, complete with password hint. When security is enabled, the CD-ROM partition will load first, and will only enable the data partition after authentication. A password hint can be specified for those with bad memories, and in a worst case scenario the entire data partition can be erased if the password is truly forgotten. Enabling security comes at the expense of backwards compatibility however. Because U3 is only compatible with Windows 2000 and XP, any Mac, Linux, or Windows 98/ME users will not be able to authenticate themselves to see the partition. When plugged into a Mac running OS X 10.3, we didn't see the data partition at all until security was disabled. Users working in a cross-platform environment may wish to look into an alternative security application to secure their documents. Also, it is unclear if files stored on the drive are encrypted or not, but most likely they are not because it takes mere seconds to enable security for a near-full 512MB drive.
U3 is an important step in the evolution of how we get our work done. User-friendly and well documented, U3 smart drives are something that we could actually give to our grandparents without worrying about how many times they'll be calling us for tech support. In the future when office applications are released, parents can send their U3-equipped kids off to college knowing that they can get their work done on any of the school computers without having to buy an expensive laptop. Perhaps most importantly, people with multiple computers will actually be legal and don't have to deal with paying over $300 on products like Office thanks to End User License Agreements (EULAs) being written per flash drive instead of per computer. About the only thing we can see wrong with the U3 platform is the lack of cross-platform compatibility, but that might change later on now that Macs are going x86.
In USB Apps
Popular Questions Answered 1. Does U3 work on Windows Vista?
The good news is that U3 launchpad version 1.4 and higher supports Vista. The bad news is that the update can only be obtained from the U3 drive manufacturers. If they are slow at adopting the new U3 core, then you will have wait longer or perhaps just get a new drive instead. There are more complications due to Vista compatibility with the mobile apps themselves and the legacy issues that prevent launchpad upgrade for some U3 drives. For example, Sandisk U3 drives with firmware 2.1.5 and 2.2.1 support Vista while firmware 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.2.0 do not support Vista. - Ian Chiu
2. Can I reinstall U3 after I removed the launchpad?
Yes and maybe. So far, the only company that has posted a U3 Installer has been Sandisk. After talking with their technical support, they warned that there have been instances where the installer did not successfully re-install the launcher. Sometimes, the user is left with a normal non-U3 flash drive. Other times, they are left with a ruined flash drive. Other flash drive manufacturers are planning to supply a means to re-install the launchpad, but there has been no public word, ETA, or success rate on that. So, in short, if you are questioning whether you REALLY want to delete the U3 launchpad, don't do it. - Vincent Farrand
3. How can I add non-U3 apps to U3 'start menu'?
I had posted a tutorial on how to do this back in December of 2005 on Everything USB's forum. Although a bit confusing to some, it seemed to have done the job in helping spread that method. A user on the Portable Apps site by the name computechx has also posted a method. The best and easiest way, in my opinion, is to use the U3 Shortcut Creator provided by computechx, as well. This shortcut creator makes adding other portable apps to the U3 Launchpad painless and extremely quick. - Vincent Farrand
4. How can I develop my own U3 progoram, aka. u3p?
Developing U3 applications entails some degree of programming ability Since I have ZERO programming experience, the only thing I can suggest is to go to the U3 Developer's page and download the U3 Deployment Kit. The deployment kit is a set of documents, detailing every step in the development of a U3 application. - Vincent Farrand
5. How does U3 compare to Ceedo (aka PowerToGo)?
The U3 Launchpad comes preinstalled on most of the major flash drive products and is a hardware based interface. The U3 Launchpad is permanently installed on a read-only partition that emulates a CD-ROM filesystem in order to properly autorun the U3 Launchpad. The Ceedo interface is a software based menu and can be installed in any flash drive or other portable storage device. Ceedo claims that the interface is more of a "mini operating system" due to the fact that it has its own System directory and keeps its registry on the portable device. There are some differences between Ceedo's and U3's software. The U3 files are stored on the device in a compressed format, and when the U3 application is used, it decompresses files into a directory on the host PC and then runs. With U3, applications have to be developed that will not only decompress and run correctly, but can also delete themselves and leave no trace. The Ceedo software, from what I have seen, is stored on the flash device in an uncompressed state and runs entirely from the flash drive. Basically, the applications should run faster because they do not have to create an application directory, decompress to that directory, execute, and then delete all traces. But, the installed applications will take up more space on the flash drive because of not being compressed. I try to make them smaller using UPX-IT. The U3 interface seems to have more applications developed for it, including those from the big name retail software companies. Ceedo should have a larger number of applications than U3 because when you install an application in Ceedo, all of the registry and system files are supposed to go where they belong and, in theory, make the application portable. I have had limited success with it, though. - Vincent Farrand
Popular Questions Answered 1. Does U3 work on Windows Vista?
The good news is that U3 launchpad version 1.4 and higher supports Vista. The bad news is that the update can only be obtained from the U3 drive manufacturers. If they are slow at adopting the new U3 core, then you will have wait longer or perhaps just get a new drive instead. There are more complications due to Vista compatibility with the mobile apps themselves and the legacy issues that prevent launchpad upgrade for some U3 drives. For example, Sandisk U3 drives with firmware 2.1.5 and 2.2.1 support Vista while firmware 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.2.0 do not support Vista. - Ian Chiu 2. Can I reinstall U3 after I removed the launchpad?
Yes and maybe. So far, the only company that has posted a U3 Installer has been Sandisk. After talking with their technical support, they warned that there have been instances where the installer did not successfully re-install the launcher. Sometimes, the user is left with a normal non-U3 flash drive. Other times, they are left with a ruined flash drive. Other flash drive manufacturers are planning to supply a means to re-install the launchpad, but there has been no public word, ETA, or success rate on that. So, in short, if you are questioning whether you REALLY want to delete the U3 launchpad, don't do it. - Vincent Farrand
3. How can I add non-U3 apps to U3 'start menu'?
I had posted a tutorial on how to do this back in December of 2005 on Everything USB's forum. Although a bit confusing to some, it seemed to have done the job in helping spread that method. A user on the Portable Apps site by the name computechx has also posted a method. The best and easiest way, in my opinion, is to use the U3 Shortcut Creator provided by computechx, as well. This shortcut creator makes adding other portable apps to the U3 Launchpad painless and extremely quick. - Vincent Farrand
4. How can I develop my own U3 progoram, aka. u3p?
Developing U3 applications entails some degree of programming ability Since I have ZERO programming experience, the only thing I can suggest is to go to the U3 Developer's page and download the U3 Deployment Kit. The deployment kit is a set of documents, detailing every step in the development of a U3 application. - Vincent Farrand
5. How does U3 compare to Ceedo (aka PowerToGo)?
The U3 Launchpad comes preinstalled on most of the major flash drive products and is a hardware based interface. The U3 Launchpad is permanently installed on a read-only partition that emulates a CD-ROM filesystem in order to properly autorun the U3 Launchpad. The Ceedo interface is a software based menu and can be installed in any flash drive or other portable storage device. Ceedo claims that the interface is more of a "mini operating system" due to the fact that it has its own System directory and keeps its registry on the portable device. There are some differences between Ceedo's and U3's software. The U3 files are stored on the device in a compressed format, and when the U3 application is used, it decompresses files into a directory on the host PC and then runs. With U3, applications have to be developed that will not only decompress and run correctly, but can also delete themselves and leave no trace. The Ceedo software, from what I have seen, is stored on the flash device in an uncompressed state and runs entirely from the flash drive. Basically, the applications should run faster because they do not have to create an application directory, decompress to that directory, execute, and then delete all traces. But, the installed applications will take up more space on the flash drive because of not being compressed. I try to make them smaller using UPX-IT. The U3 interface seems to have more applications developed for it, including those from the big name retail software companies. Ceedo should have a larger number of applications than U3 because when you install an application in Ceedo, all of the registry and system files are supposed to go where they belong and, in theory, make the application portable. I have had limited success with it, though. - Vincent Farrand
Under Hardware
U3 Flash Drives Sandisk Cruzer Contour 4GB Flash Drive
Sandisk U3 Cruzer Titanium 2GB Flash Drive
U3 Flash Drives Sandisk Cruzer Contour 4GB Flash Drive
 |   Hi-Speed USB 4GB flash memory 25MB/s read, 18MB/s write 2.28" x 0.75" x 0.28" Includes Skype 2.0, CruzerSync, SignUp Shields, Avast! Anti-virus, HP PhotoSmart, Sudoku, Mahjong Released in May 2007 |
Sandisk U3 Cruzer Titanium 2GB Flash Drive
 | Hi-Speed USB 2GB flash memory 15MB/s read, 13MB/s write 2.28" x 0.75" x 0.28" Includes Skype 2, Avast! Anti-virus, Signup Shield, Dmailer CruzerSync Released in June 2006 |
