M-Systems' DiskOnKey: Small Package, Large Resource

In my first article, I wrote about the new uses for stick memory. Keychain storage; memory on a stick; a hard drive larger than the first three computers I owned, combined on the size of a large car key.

Anyway you look at it, technology (if this was Star Trek we'd be talking Nano-technology and Nanites) is starting to pay off. A 512-MB drive used to weigh multi-pounds and take up almost as much room as a 8x10 piece of paper. Today, it weighs practically nothing.

I took my brand new 512-MB DiskOnKey for a ride on my Windows 2000 box. I plugged it into my USB port, and presto, W2K found the driver and installed it. I had to reboot (you may not, it is Windows, isn't it?), and I found a new drive titled "Removable Disk (K:)."

There is was, another hard drive, installed and ready in fractional time. The DiskOnKey comes with some utilities and a security program, which enables you to encrypt all or part of your DiskOnKey. I wasn't successful in getting this to work, but truthfully, I may not have had a fresh boot when I tried, and tried only once.

Next test, move some data. I had a Web site that I took over, which was a disaster. This site had more than 1,500 files in its root directory alone, with most files unused today. First order of business was to copy over the directory (it was 355MB). It took 15 or 20 minutes, but it copied. In fact, when I was overzealous with my delete key, I just went to the DiskOnKey and copied back the file I obliterated.So simple is this technology, that I went over to my friend, who also works on the site, and plugged the DiskOnKey into his USB port, and copied over the data, so he could burn a CD for himself (my burner is on the fritz).

I like the technology, I like the product, I like being able to take my data with me, where ever I go. And it works on Windows, MAC's and Linux (according to M Systems). What's next " full-fledged Dick Tracey Watches, the thickness of a dime?