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Apacer Handy Steno USB 2.0 Flash Drive

Apacer Handy Steno USB 2.0 Flash Drive

Reviewed by

Jasmine France

on 04/02/2004

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CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
Detailed editors' rating
Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 14 reviews
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Quick specs
Memory type: Flash
Flash memory form factor: USB Drive
See full specifications

Add to my list Product summary

The good: Inexpensive per megabyte; can password-protect data.

The bad: Permanently attached cap is a slight impediment.

The bottom line: Apacer's Handy Steno offers solid encryption and compression features, plus a very low price per megabyte.

Read full review

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CNET editors' review

CNET editors' rating: 4.0 stars Excellent
Detailed editors' rating

Reviewed by:
Jasmine France
Reviewed on: 04/02/2004
Released on: 01/01/2004

The Apacer Handy Steno's reflective graphite-colored casing makes for a snazzy design. Though the drive's capacity is stamped on the end of the cap, Apacer keeps other embellishments to a minimum and preserves the device's sleek look. The Handy Steno measures 3.25 inches long, 0.75 inches wide, and 0.37 inches thick and flares out slightly at one end. A thin steel wire keeps the cap permanently tethered to the Handy Steno--good, because it eliminates the possibility of losing the cap, but also a bit annoying, because you have to hold the cap and the wire out of the way to plug in the drive.

The Handy Steno comes with Flash Disk Utility, a simple app that lets you encrypt, decrypt, and compress your files on a PC before you load them onto the drive. The CD also contains a user manual and driver software for Windows 98 users. When you plug in the drive, an orange LED near the back flashes once to confirm the connection; this same light flashes during file transfers. The Apacer Handy Steno is available in capacities ranging from 32MB to 1GB, and the 256MB model we tested costs about $60, or 23 cents per megabyte, making the Handy Steno an excellent value.

Return to CNET's USB flash drive roundup.

Most helpful user reviews

Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 14 reviews
My rating: 0 stars Write review

Showing 3 of 14 user reviews
4.5 stars

"Indestructible: the Superman of Flash Drives."

by Valwriter on January 5, 2009
5.0 stars

"Best usb drive money can buy"

by L33TWORKS on December 29, 2007
1.0 stars

"Had two malfunction within a span of 1 year"

by page2727 on March 22, 2007
See all 14 user reviews Write review

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Recent user reviews

Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 14 reviews
My rating: 0 stars Write review

Showing 3 of 14 user reviews
4.5 stars

"Indestructible: the Superman of Flash Drives."

by Valwriter on January 5, 2009
5.0 stars

"Best usb drive money can buy"

by L33TWORKS on December 29, 2007
1.0 stars

"Had two malfunction within a span of 1 year"

by page2727 on March 22, 2007
See all 14 user reviews Write review

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Apacer Handy Steno USB 2.0 Flash Drive

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Apacer Handy Steno USB 2.0 Flash Drive

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4. Cons:(Tell us what you don't like about this product. 10 characters minimum; required.): 0 of 250 characters
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