Super Talent Pico_C USB Flash Drive Review
Introduction:
If you are anything like me, you either carry with you or use a usb flash drive almost every day. In my case, I need to carry a USB flash drive with me at all times so that I have access to files that I need throughout the day. Well, over the last couple of months I have been becoming more annoyed at the physical size of my current flash drive (OCZ ATV USB 2.0 Flash Drive). My current OCZ ATV flash drive is very large and takes up enough space in my pocket for me to become annoyed when looking for other things and it does not attach to my key ring very well.
So a couple of weeks ago I finally got annoyed enough to do something about it. After about a week of research and searching every flash media manufactures websites, I finally found something that really peaked my interests… I had found the Super Talent Pico_C, a rugged, capless, flash drive which has amazingly small dimensions (31.3
x 12.4
x 3.4
mm) that boasted a 30MB/s transfer rate. When I found that I could get an 8GB version for under $20 on Newegg, I just purchased one.
Super Talent Pico_C Specifications: - Available in Sizes from 1GB to 16GB
- Available in Silver, Gold, and Nickel finishes
- Weight less than 6g
- Up to 30MB/s (200X) data transfer rate
- Fully compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1
- Water resistant
- Powered by USB bus - no external power is required
- Durable solid-state storage - 10 years data retention
- Hot Plug & Play – enables you to install and uninstall Pico anytime
- Supports ReadyBoost™
- Capless / Rugged
- Dimensions: 31.3mm x 12.4mm x 3.4mm
Considering that it was the only drive that I found that was so small and was not made of plastic, I decided that I may as well order one to try out.
The Packaging & Size:
The drive comes in very simple packaging. I have no problem with having simple packaging as long as the product delivers. The only thing worse than a product that has simple packaging and that sucks, is a product that comes packaged nicely and that sucks.
I also like the idea of keeping the package simple because it ultimately reduces costs, which hopefully are passed off onto the consumer.
Initially, I thought that the Super Talent Pico_C had plastic on one side, however I was relieved to find that it was simply a protective film placed on the drive to protect its finish. This image has its protective film pealed back just a little.
With the protective film removed and set to the side.
To give you an Idea as to how small this flash drive is, I first took a couple of pictures comparing it to a quarter. As you can see, the flash drive is just slightly longer and about half the width of the quarter.
I decided after a couple of minutes that I should compare the size to a dime. The flash drive is still smaller in width, and just about a half a dimes width longer.
One last thing to mention about the package, the flash drive comes with one of those chains to put the drive on a keychain (pictured to the left of the Super Talent Pico_C). The item to the right of the Pico_C is what I have decided to attach the drive to. It is a Pull-A-Part/Quick release key ring which I purchased at a local hardware store for a couple of dollars.
Pictures are great and all, but what are really needed are benchmarks to determine if this drive can actually deliver the 30MB/s of transfer that the manufacture claims.
Benchmarks:
Low Level Read Performance Benchmark
According to this benchmark the drive’s average read speed is 29.2MB/s, with a max of 29.7MB/s. While this is not 30.0MB/s exactly, it does come within 0.3MB/s of the manufactures 30.0MB/s claim. It is even my belief that 0.3MB/s is well within a reasonable margin of error for any storage device benchmark. Certainly it would be feasible to obtain 30.0MB/s or possibly more depending on the hardware the device is plugged into.
Also note the 0.5ms Access time. I was very impressed by the Access time because in the past, my Flash Drives generally get access times of greater than 3.0ms.
Real World File Benchmark
In this benchmark we see that the drive is capable of more than 30.0MB/s in a real world read benchmark. As for the file write performance, it is very similar to other USB 2.0 Flash Drives.
Conclusion:
The Super Talent Pico_C USB Flash Drive is an exceptional option for anyone looking for a Flash Drive of any size. For those who need a Flash Drive that is significantly smaller than anything else available it is a must have.
Performance wise, this drive is nothing new. I had hoped that it would outperform my $90 OCZ ATV USB Flash Drive by a long shot, but the Pico_C did not. I still cannot be disappointed because the Pico_C performed very well when compared so such an expensive drive.
Pro’s: - Very small
- Good Performance
- Excellent Build Quality
- Great Price (~$17 @ Newegg.com for the 8GB version)
- No cap that can get lost
Con’s: - It is so small that without having it on a key ring, it could get lost.
Misc Links:Super Talent Pico Series Datasheet
The Pico_C on Newegg.com
CS:S admin. PM DennyCrane for assistance. 
it's old and was a present from a boss. It's about as wide as two quarters.
