~~Not so much a backup, more a way of life?~~

My Bytestor 'memory stick' is without doubt one of the handiest gifts I've had in ages. It's been in daily use ever since I received it well over a year ago. I almost take for granted its usefulness, simplicity and reliability - but not quite! Hence this brief non-technical review.

~~Beauty in simplicity~~

This little device has proved to be an excellent solution for quick selective (ad hoc) backups and for copying or transferring files from one machine to another, particularly photos and word-processed documents, between laptops and desktop computers. Other methods now seem cumbersome by comparison. It's simpler than setting up a 'network share' or using disc-based devices. I believe Bytestor even offer these in shocking pink, if that appeals, though mine is just a subtle blue!

~~Value for money 'spec'~~

As this was a present, I can't be certain of the original purchase price, but storage costs continue to fall and this is now quite inexpensive. Available for under £6, it's simple, quick and reliable with enough capacity for most everyday purposes. When I got this it seemed to be almost state-of-the-art but, needless to say, similar products are now available with much higher capacities and even faster data transfer rates.

Without going into too many technicalities, the Bytestor 4Gb USB 'Dataferry' may not have quite the latest specification but it still seems quite sufficient for most purposes. It's aptly named, as 'ferrying data' is exactly what I mostly do with it.

Advertised as a 'high speed flash drive', it certainly seems fast enough to me. I believe it's 'USB 2.0 compliant' - not quite the latest standard but still quite fast and compatible with previous USB (1.1) equipment. Being solid state, there are of course no moving parts to go wrong; nor does it need any external power supply. It's also fully 'plug and play' - so no complicated installation required.

I've used this regularly with various versions of Windows and experienced no problems whatsoever. But for other operating systems and full compatibility information, best refer to manufacturer. [See links below]

~~What it's not~~

I wouldn't rely on this as a main backup or archiving medium. I've been through a number of different generations of technologies for this, from tapes, multiple floppy discs ('disks'?) of various sizes, 'Zip' drives, optical devices (CDs and DVDs), but now rely largely on USB external hard drives. Like solid state 'flash drives' these are convenient but somewhat less portable.

[If interested, for details of my main backup device, perhaps refer to my previous 'Seagate' review. This has been a lifesaver recently following the sad demise of an old desktop PC hard disc!]

The 4Gb Bytestor drive may not be the best choice either if you need to handle very large files, e.g. video or other space-consuming media files, un-optimised or uncompressed formats. Many alternatives are available for such purposes, including higher capacity drives in the same range.

~~Design and usability~~

As stated previously, this is straightforward to use, with standard USB connectivity and genuine 'plug and play'. Just drag and drop your files intuitively.

I do appreciate the protective plug cap, designed to sit on the other end of the drive when this is in use - and not lost so far! Both parts have a loop that can be attached to a keyring, which is a nice touch.

~~Dimensions~~

This may not be the smallest device of its type on the market but it is quite compact at just c. 7 mm long, including the loops at each end, according to my rough measurements.

~~Durability~~

This product is not really designed for heavy duty use. The casing is constructed from what seems fairly lightweight plastic. But for regular domestic use, in our household this has stood the test of time, so far withstanding all normal usage plus the inevitable occasional 'knocks & drops' ...

~~What's in a name?~~

Call it a 'Pen drive', 'flash drive', 'memory stick' or 'USB stick', it's all the same to me! Having said that, I quite like the 'Dataferry' concept.

~~Advantages~~

* Reliable, well specified for the price

~~Disadvantages~~

* Not quite the latest specification

~~Verdict~~

* Good value, reliable memory stick

~~Recommendation~~

* Well worth considering a device from this range for reliability and acceptable performance at a reasonable price.

~~Related links~~

* Bytestor website : http://bytestor.com

Note to self:

Find out more about 'Cloud' backup, remaining sceptical but open-minded. And now ... time to back up this review!

[© SteveS001, 2011. A version of this original review may be found on other review sites]