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M-Systems DiskonKey 8MB (12/04/2001)

M-Systems DiskonKey 8MB

Entered CNET Catalog: 12/04/2001

SKU: 0087944583035

Manufacturer: IBM

Content [Hide]
  1. Manufacturer's description
  2. Product summary
  3. Editors' review
  4. Users' opinions
  5. Keywords

Manufacturer description

The IBM 8 MB Memory Key is a USB solid state storage device that allows you to share data between any notebook or desktop system via the USB port without the need for a floppy! It provides 8 MB of storage capability to store your text, presentations, spreadsheets, multimedia files or any other storage needs. It's Plug and Play-ready and there's no software, drivers or batteries required.

Product summary

The goodThe good: Lightweight, portable storage; supports Windows, Mac OS, and Linux; mounts without installing Windows Me and 2000 drivers.

The badThe bad: High price per megabyte.

The bottom lineThe bottom line: An extremely handy, portable, and secure way to transfer small amounts of data between Windows PCs, Linux sytems, and Macs.

Average user rating: from 33 users
3.0 stars

Editors' review

  • Editors' Choice: Yes
  • Reviewed on: 06/18/2001
M-Systems' DiskonKey isn't the only flash memory drive that connects to your system via the USB port, but it's easily the best. Unlike products such as JMTek's USBdrive, the DiskonKey can be used without first installing drivers--though only if you use a fully USB-aware OS, such as Windows Me or 2000, Mac OS 9 or higher, and Linux 2.4.0 or later. You can download drivers from the DiskonKey Web site for Windows 98 and 98 SE. M-Systems' DiskonKey isn't the only flash memory drive that connects to your system via the USB port, but it's easily the best. Unlike products such as JMTek's USBdrive, the DiskonKey can be used without first installing drivers--though only if you use a fully USB-aware OS, such as Windows Me or 2000, Mac OS 9 or higher, and Linux 2.4.0 or later. You can download drivers from the DiskonKey Web site for Windows 98 and 98 SE.

Real, live plug 'n' play
Installing and using the DiskonKey is easy; plug it into an available USB port, then wait ten seconds for the OS to find it. You're soon ready to cut, paste, and copy files--just as you would with any other drive. But unlike hard disks and removable media drives, DiskonKey has no moving parts or fragile media, so it's more rugged and reliable. It's also very secure, doubling as a key ring (hence the name), so it's easier to keep with you.

The DiskonKey is designed for convenience. It's compact--a little longer and wider than your forefinger (82 by 15 by 23mm)--and sports a clever two-piece design that operates just like a pen with a snap-on cap. The protective cap has a removable key ring held in place by a folded plastic arm, which, in turn, does double duty as a pocket clip (geek nirvana!). The drive itself snaps in and out of the protective top cap and has a power/access LED that blinks in different patterns when it's working, inactive, or in sleep mode.

The product currently comes in three flavors: 8MB ($49.99; reviewed here), 16MB ($69.99), and 32MB ($99.99). Measured per megabyte, the DiskonKey is pricey, and you can find less expensive forms of storage. However, it also costs about the same as other USB flash memory drives. In our informal tests, we measured throughput at somewhere around 170K per second.

M-Systems does its homework
The DiskonKey seems stable, too. M-Systems claims that you can store data on the DiskonKey for up to ten years and provides a five-year warranty against defects. There's also a surprisingly large amount of information, FAQs, and troubleshooting advice for the DiskonKey on its Web site, as well as the Windows 98 driver.

There was only one real problem we could find with the DiskonKey. If you shut down your system with the device attached and then reboot, the system might hang. This problem is similar to leaving a floppy in the A: drive--and so's the solution: Remove the floppy/DiskonKey, reboot, and don't leave it in this time.

There's not an easier, more convenient device for light data backup and transport than the DiskonKey. It's the first device that actually makes the floppy disk look cumbersome and hard to use.

User opinions

Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
User Rating:
1.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

completely inferior & overpricedby - March 11, 2004

Pros: USB- just like 100s of other better products

Cons: Outrageous price! unusably small, Same cost as other better products that have 15x more memory! Why use this when you can get something 15x bigger for the same price? Seriously, who wrote this article?

Review:
User Rating:
2.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Handyby - February 16, 2003

Pros:

Cons:

Review: For laptops and carrying your documents home from work. It's much easier than I suspected. No thrills, it does only one thing, but very good.
User Rating:
2.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Doesn't Work On HPby - January 22, 2003

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I tried the 8MB Key on an HP Pavilion system. And the Computer shut down. Couldn't get it to work at all. Everytime the computer shut down. Works fine everywhere else though.
User Rating:
3.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

great transfer thingieby - November 18, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: It worked on '2000 and XP, and it's just great for drivers etc. that just don't fit on floppies. Windows98 just wouldn't take my word for it when i said the drivers were in c:(diskonkey, however...
User Rating:
2.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Not enough memory!by - August 29, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: The Pen Drive (pendriveusa.com) holds more memory - can hold all the way up to 1 Gig of data. Where is the security on this? Pen Drive has password protection for the whole drive...and.. they include an extention cord or something like that cradle device for PDAs. I like mine and use it to carry around my kids pictures. Plug it in and see (and hear) them.
User Rating:
1.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Pricey and Poorly Madeby - May 4, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: It works perfectly but it is too expensive compared to others and after carrying it around on my keychain for a month it broke. Sent it back and got another one. That broke too. Not even worth dealing with it anymore. Tape works but looks crappy.
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Extremely handy and ruggedby - April 12, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Had one issue requiring customer support and it was handled with zero hassle
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

This is the one! for replacing the floppy. Buy one now!!!!by - April 9, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I just got the 128MB, I love it, you can carry it from one computer to another and it does not leave trails, and I love the password idea, if I lose it no one can get into it. This will replace the floppy and it's about time!
User Rating:
1.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Cool product, but mine brokeby - March 11, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: It works as advertised, but I've had a couple problems with mine: first, it came unglued and the circuit board fell out. I taped it back together and it still works, but it looks lame now with tape on it. Also, if it gets jiggled in the USB port at all, the computer thinks the drive is gone. If you do this while you have a file open, you lose the changes. So, I have to copy stuff to my desktop before I make changes in order to avoid data loss. With the poor manufacturing workmanship and high price, I'd probably go with one of the other devices if I had it to do over.
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Buy the largest (32mb)by - March 6, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Moving 32MB around is easy with this flash memory. It's easy to bring data home or to a laptop. No more burning CDs for 5MB.
User Rating:
2.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Too expensive, seek alternative products.by - March 2, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: You can get a Pen Drive for a LOT less (As of about 3/2002, 64 meg for around $50)
User Rating:
4.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Brilliant product- real reviewby - February 20, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I had to write a review after reading the negative comments from users. A few pointers- value changes with time and if you haven't tried it- don't review it. This is a Brilliant product- plug it in and read the information off it- no driver involved, cross platform usability and USB speed. I don't know why these boobs are negative over this thing. I have another broswer window open to purchase this little guy online right now. I'll let you know the results after I get it!
User Rating:
2.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

It is a disk on a key...by - January 29, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: The key ring and pocket clip are on the cap of the disk key. If the disk is seperated from from the key ring you lose the disk. A safer design would be to put the key ring and the pocket clip on the disk side.
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

i wish it was cheaperby - January 14, 2002

Pros:

Cons:

Review: if it was as cheap as a ten pack of cd's i would buy alot more of them. but i shouldn't be so picky because eventually as time goes on and they get more popular (which they will) these will be better and cheaper than cd's.
User Rating:
3.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Great innovention, bad valueby - December 19, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: This is one of the better innovations that i have seen over the years. But if you think about it 8 megs for around $30 for this product at www.diskonkey.com. That's $3.75 for one megabyte!! That's way too much. But if you have deep pockets, this is the perfect replacement for the floppy
User Rating:
3.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Great Idea, Terrible Valueby - December 16, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I have no personal experience with this product, but I know that if you shop around, you can get a 64MB Pen Drive (all kinds of different brands) for about $50, and 128MB for about $100. The portable pen drive idea is great, and I'll probably get 128MB soon, but this particular product is a pretty crappy value. One more thing, in case you're wondering, most all other usb pen drives are small enough to put on your key chain as well (just like this one).
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Great for people with Laptopsby - December 9, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I work for a school, and we've been sending out one of these with every laptop we setup. I personally carry a copy of my resume and other junk on mine. I didn't use it for about two months, but my data was still there after being carried in my pocket all that time. The larger capacity diskonkeys that are coming out make this idea even more attractive to mobile users. This is one of the better solutions for replacing the floppy. Buy one now!!!! The prices are falling.
User Rating:
2.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Great Idea but easily brokenby - December 3, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I got this as a gift from boss, and it broke while I was trying to get into my car... the plastic broke... I can glue it back together but but was surprised how easily it broke.
User Rating:
4.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Use it for what it was made!by - November 24, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Great product. Tired of people trying to use things for things other than what they were made. This is great!
User Rating:
3.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Pay a lot - get so littleby - November 19, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I know it sounds like the perfect solution. Better then using floppies, BUT 8mb is not enough for nothing nowdays, and the price is very high. You can but SmartMedia memory cards and USB adapter for less money and get more storage space + an option to use more cards and not being limited to the 8mb limit.
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Greatest Product Since the Monitorby - November 6, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Wow! Wow is all I can say. When I first heard about this product, I was thinking it had to be a joke. Then I saw it at the store and almost fainted. My god! What an invention...can someone say Nobel Prize? So far this little gadget has done more for me than a whole stack of papers or modules. I only wish I could afford two so I could switch between one key or the other. Maybe they could come in colors, sizes and shapes so we could trade or collect them. I will definitely suggest these as Christmas or Hannukahh gifts!Bravo!!
User Rating:
0.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

WOW! EIGHT WHOLE MEGS!by - October 27, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: What the hell am I going to save with 8 megs? One mp3? A couple of scanned pics? My homework? It would be cheaper and better to just buy a disc, or something else!
User Rating:
3.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Neat little widget!by - October 22, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Yeah, kind of expensive for the amount of storage it has. But still, it is a slick little package for carrying data around. Haven't got a lot of use for it, but it's a fun toy just the same!
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Excellent Product and Companyby - September 13, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I have the 32 meg, I love it. It runs quickly and without hassle. If running 98, the drivers are very small. Now I just need the school to switch from 98.
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Best at what it doesby - September 2, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Ideal for support personnel who have to troubleshoot/fix PC's. I can put a full set of drivers and diagnostics tools on it. No, it's not a replacement for CD-RW or Zip but then, it's not supposed to be!!
User Rating:
0.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Maybe i'm kind lame or something but couldn't u just use a cd-rwby - August 17, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: it seems kinda unconventional cuz you could buy a cd-rw drive and a pack of cds for about a hundred bucks more and there is a hella of a lot more space and if you lose a cd its not that big of a deal but if u load that little key chain then ur screwed
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Awesome Tools for Traveling Geeksby - August 14, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: We tested placing Terminal Services on an 8 meg DiskOnKey and found it to work perfect. This will allow our traveling Geeks to be able to use any PC with USB as a way to do work on remote servers.
User Rating:
5.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

This is the future!by - August 10, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Yes. This product is for geeks. For those people who need access to loads of files everywhere they go, this is the future. It's not a 'gimmack' as one poster stated. This product does EXACTLY what it says it will do and does it WELL! The 8MB is too small. I have the 32MB which allows me to carry entire sites I'm developing, including Illustrator and PhotoShop files with room to spare! CAN'T WAIT FOR A 128MB KEYRING! Thank you DiskOnKey!
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Still finding new uses for it!by - August 9, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I have the 8Mb IBM version of this memorykey, and I use it for my PGP keyring, my browser shortcuts, and as a backup for my Quicken data. I keep my notebooks security cable key on the metal keyring, and it's always with me. Only downside is I doubt it'd survive a trip through the washing machine.
User Rating:
3.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Really great new way to move data around.by - June 25, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: This thing is awesome. I can move small files around with ease now. Tad on the expensive side but neat-o
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Sure beats floppies!by - June 25, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: Positives: Ease of use, durability, transportability. Negatives: Expense, limited capacity but due to expand soon!
User Rating:
4.0 stars

out of 33 user reviews

Idea good, price badby - June 19, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: I'll stick with my Iomega PocketZip for the time being. You can get a complete USB kit for $60 or a pcmcia kit with USB dock for home for $119. That and the 40MB media only costs$10 per disk in volume. Not as convenient as the DiskonKey, but the price ends up being oh so much better (and I can use the PocketZip disks in my MP3 player as well!).
User Rating:
4.5 stars

out of 33 user reviews

This is one VERY cool product!by - June 17, 2001

Pros:

Cons:

Review: DiskOnKey rocks!!! I went and compared this product to the rest of them out there before buying it, and it turned out, that this was the only one which is an "active" device: It can do a lot more than just serve as a floppy replacement (the rest of the items mentioned in this review are "passive" devices - for example: you need a floppy drive (remember what that is?) to install drivers... what good is that when you want this as a floppy replacement???) I've read DiskOnKey has a CPU built in!!! I have now used it with my iMac and with my hubby's Windows 2000 PC, and I can tell you that transferring files between the two has never been so easy! A great product, a bit expensive, but worth every penny! PS - did I mention that I also love the design? very sturdy, very cool!

Keywords

keychainusb   |  

About CNET Archive

Welcome to the CNET Archive, a library of product reviews, user opinions, videos, specifications, and manufacturer descriptions for products no longer offered by the manufacturer or most retailers. Here you will find information on replacement parts and replacement ink cartridges. Read what others had to say about that used laptop you are considering buying. Take a trip down memory lane as you browse and reminisce about your favorite old video game or that first digital camera.

M-Systems DiskonKey 8MB specifications

  • General
  • Product Type USB flash drive
  • Storage Capacity 8.0 MB
  • Width 0.7 in
  • Depth 2.2 in
  • Height 0.4 in
  • Compatibility PC
  • Compatibility Non-specific
  • Memory
  • Interface Type USB
  • Expansion / Connectivity
  • Compatible Slots None
  • Interfaces 1.0 x USB - 4 pin USB Type A
  • Miscellaneous
  • Compliant Standards Plug and Play
  • Package Type Retail
  • Software / System Requirements
  • Software Included Drivers & Utilities
  • Manufacturer Warranty
  • Service & Support 1 year warranty
  • Environmental Parameters
  • Min Operating Temperature 32.0 °F
  • Max Operating Temperature 113.0 °F
  • Humidity Range Operating 20 - 60%
  • Expansion / Port(s) Required
  • Required slot None
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