[Nameisnobody]

Hey what up my people,

I'm planning to get a USB key obviously for school work and such and such right. I was wondering if their are any good USB keys that would work well with both Macs and Windows. I was told that any USB key is good to use, but I'm lookin' for a second opinion.
Also, I've read about the new USB 2.0 keys, hopefully I read that right...but all in all I just want a competent 1 gig USB key to transfer my work back and forth!

 

[drummerbull]

Yes, you can use any thumb drive. To be able to use it on Windows and Mac OS you will need to have it formatted for Windows. You will still be able to write and read from OS X with this format.

This would do you just fine.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820141057

 

[MSM Hobbes]

Actually, don't think you have to format if for Windows - at least I haven't. Used my Sandisc USB Cruzer™ Micro flash drive right out of the package. Would keys be different? They are supposedly better bang for the buck, holding more GB per $.

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10268 seems to be a good plug and play device.

Here are the Sandisc version:
http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1013)-USB_Flash_Drives.aspx

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

Actually, don't think you have to format if for Windows - at least I haven't. Used my Sandisc USB Cruzer™ Micro flash drive right out of the package. Would keys be different?

A micro flash drive is also known as a USB key drive, a thumb drive, and probably other names I can't recall at the time.

As far as the formatting, they come formatted as a 'Windows' drive, that is, formatted in FAT16 so that they are usable by Windows PCs, Macs and Linux boxes.

The only incompatibility I know of is that some drives require more power than some Windows laptops are capable of supplying, in particular, the Toshiba line of laptops. This is not an issue with any Apple laptop.

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

I was told that any USB key is good to use, but I'm lookin' for a second opinion.

Yes, any USB key should work on both a PC and a Mac.

Shop around. I recently bought a 2 Gb SimpleTech drive for a total cost of $7.62 after rebates.

 

[MSM Hobbes]

A micro flash drive is also known as a USB key drive, a thumb drive, and probably other names I can't recall at the time.

...snip...

From one tiger to another, good morning...

From what I understood, a "thumb drive" was the rectangular gizmo like the Sandisk I linked to, and the "key drive" that the OP was asking about was the flat card shaped gizmo from the lacie link. But, they are all part of the 'micro flash drive' family... if that makes sense, and/or is on target?

 

[MSM Hobbes]

...snip...

Shop around. I recently bought a 2 Gb SimpleTech drive for a total cost of $7.62 after rebates.

Wow! Possible to share that source? Just a quick search, but all I see is ~$40-55 cheapest, w/o any rebate mentioned... not counting ebay stuff.

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

Wow! Possible to share that source? Just a quick search, but all I see is ~$40-55 cheapest, w/o any rebate mentioned... not counting ebay stuff.

It was a deal from Buy.com that is no longer valid, but you can get almost as good a deal on a different drive.

 

[Pensacola Tiger]

From one tiger to another, good morning...

From what I understood, a "thumb drive" was the rectangular gizmo like the Sandisk I linked to, and the "key drive" that the OP was asking about was the flat card shaped gizmo from the lacie link. But, they are all part of the 'micro flash drive' family... if that makes sense, and/or is on target?

And a good morning to you as well, fellow feline. I do miss Calvin, although my tiger reference is to a college mascot, not to Bill Watterson's creation.

I've noticed that the terms USB key drive, USB flash drive and USB thumb drive all are used for the general class of small USB drives based on flash memory. The term 'key' derives from the fact that some of the first drives were sold with a keyring and advertised to be used as a 'keyfob'. The 'thumb' terminology arose because some drives are the approximate shape and size of a thumb. LaCie calls their drive a 'key' to categorize it as a competitor to the flash drives, even though is uses a microdrive.

The LaCie drive is interesting, but I wonder about the durability of the USB cable.