Sandisk doubles capacity of Cruzer Micro Flash drive

Not so long ago we were using floppy disks with a 1.44mb capacity to save and transfer documents, even more recently a 500Mb thumb drive seemed like a revolution, but now, it's all a matter of routine to be counting in gigabytes . SanDisk has introduced an 8 gigabyte model (that's the equivalent to 5555 floppy disks) of its Cruzer Micro USB Flash drive, double the largest capacity previously available in the Cruzer Micro line.

“Just a few years ago, USB flash drives had such limited capacities that they were only useful for moving a few files from one computer to another,” said Ittai Golde, senior director of product marketing for the USB Division of SanDisk. “Now, you don’t have to decide what files to put on a Cruzer Micro. You can load the drive with virtually everything you might need when you’re away from your primary computer.”

Cruzer Micro packs an impressive list of features into a small package:

• A sliding USB connector means there’s no cap to lose, and the connector is protected from damage when the drive is not in use

• The slider switch is illuminated by an amber LED light when the drive is active, making it easy to see – when the light goes out – that it’s safe to unplug the drive

• U3 Smart Technology for running applications directly from the drive, without those applications having to be installed on the computer.

• U3-compatible software provided free with Cruzer Micro includes the PC phone service Skype , SanDisk’s own CruzerSync for synchronizing files between a PC and the drive, the password manager program SignupShield Passwords from Protecteer, and a trial version of McAfee anti-virus software.

The Cruzer Micro is expected to be available worldwide in mid-September with a suggested retail price of US$129.99.