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When I started getting into computers, two gigabytes fit on 6 - 3.5 inch hard drives. The day has finally come when your media can fit on something only slightly larger than a standard USB end. One major problem with all these new technologies coming out is there massive effect on our environment. This is where companies like ATP step up to the plate and make drives like the EarthDrive which is 100% recyclable, even the packaging is made from recycled material. I am all for earth friendliness and everything but I want to see how well it performs before I start singing around the fire and making hemp bracelets so let’s check it out in detail by clicking read more:
Provided by: ATPPrice: $20.32
Closer Look:
The packaging for the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive is very nicely designs and definitely portraits a “green” standard. The marketing department did a good job choosing this design. And of course I like the fact that they include packaging that you can actually see the product with. I love the windows on packaging and in this case seeing the size of the product is a major selling point. It also shows a lot of the great features this drive has over other drives which we will get into more detail in, in the specifications section.
The packaging includes the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive and a handy little keychain clip. A feature I thought was pretty neat was that the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive has a little switch to pop the USB connector in and out for when you have it in your pocket or where ever you decide to store it.
This picture really puts the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive in perspective below is a dime not a quarter. This thing is tiny so if you buy one check your pockets before you run your laundry. Granted the EarthDrive is water proof but you might not want to test that out also the dryer might now be too friendly either.
Let's have a look at the software included:
Closer Look:
Included with the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive is a USB Flash Disk Utility Application. You can partition, password protect, and login to your flash drive.
Carry it Easy is another great program included that can sync with your e-mail clients, FTP’s, and most of your MS Office programs. I have made a fast little video of the software. An option I really liked is the addition of adding all of your contact info to the stick just incase some one finds it and wants to return it. If you would like to check out the software more closely go to the product page here.
Let's check out the specs and features section:
Specifications:
The EarthDrive's built in security software allows for password protection of private data.
| ATP Part Numbers | AF1GUFE1BK, AF2GUFE1BK, AF4GUFE1BK, AF8GUFE1BK |
| Capacities | 1GB to 8GB |
| Connectivity | High Speed USB1.1 / 2.0 compliant |
| Indicator | LED Light Indicator |
| Preloaded Software | Drive Partitioning, Password Protection |
| Data Retention | 10 years |
| Length | 35.7mm +/- 0.20mm |
| Width | 23.3mm +/- 0.10mm |
| Thickness | 10.31mm +/- 0.20mm |
Features:
Designed with Recycled Material
The ATP EarthDrive™ is the world's first recyclable USB Drive, appropriately named the EarthDrive™. With years of product development and extensive research, the EarthDrive™ is designed and built using the maximum amount of biodegradable materials (PLA), resulting in a fully recyclable product. PLA (Polylactic acid) is a biodegradable polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn.
American Forests Partnership
In partnership with the American Forests, a portion of all EarthDrive product sales will go towards the planting of trees.
Waterproof for all Conditions
In addition to being one of the most durable USB drives in the world, the EarthDrive is also one of the most versatile. Built with ATP’s SIP technology, all vital flash components are completely encapsulated allowing for shock proof, waterproof, and dust proof durability.
Let's See how well it performs:
Testing Rig:
- Intel Core Duo E6600 Processor
- 2 GB Kingston PC2 5300
- ASUS P5B Motherboard
- ASUS EAH 4850 Video Card
- 500watt PSU
- 320GB Seagate SATA 2 HD
- LG DVD SATA burner
- Creative Fatal1ty Audio Card
- Windows XP SP3
Testing:
For the testing I will be using the program Flash Memory Toolkit. I will run both the Low Level and File Benchmarks. For comparison I will be using the mimobot 4GB RayD8 Flash Drive. We will see how the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive performs against The Mimobot RayD80 4GB.
Low Level Benchmark:
EarthDrive:
Mimobot:
File Benchmarks:
Earth Drive:
Mimobot:
It looks like earth friendly doesn’t necessarily mean pansy hippie grade. The ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive performed better in every test but the 5MB test. I am very impressed the ATP was quite literally of the charts for performance in the low level bench mark. Let’s check out the final thoughts:
Conclusion:
Overall the ATP EarthDrive USB Flash Drive is awesome. It is a very decent price and you don’t get that nasty guilty feeling for ruining the earth. Pollution equals bad I am told. For purely selfish reasons I would actually use this because it performs very well for its size. The fact it has a slide in and out switch brings out my man childish urge to play with it consistently. The fact it isn’t broken yet because of this is another bonus.
Would I recommend this drive? Of course I would if a buddy of mine is like “hey I want a flash drive what should I get?” I would instantly say “the one with the slidey in and out thing. Oh yeah and it is fast, oh, oh and if you’re a complete idiot and put it through he wash your still good.” For the more technical of you this is the fastest thumb drive I have used to date and it is 100% recyclable with all jokes aside is important with how much junk is being put into our environment these days.
Pros:
- Earth Friendly (Yay)
- Performance
- Size
- The Slidy Thing
- Great Software Included
- Choking Hazard (joke) None!
