VisionTek's SSD Fits Windows 8 In Your Shirt Pocket

By Kevin Parrish
published

VisionTek Products revealed on Thursday that its latest pocket-sized storage device is more than an ordinary thumb drive; it's a bus-powered SSD aimed at professionals and performance enthusiasts alike. The stick-shaped SSD is available now in capacities of 120 GB and 240 GB.

So what makes this storage device different than other pocket SSDs and thumb drives? The device includes an LSI SandForce controller enabling read speeds of up to 455 MB/s and write speeds of up to 440 MB/s. The drive also has a USB 3.0 connector, resulting in super-fast file transfers when connected to a PC's USB 3.0 port.

According to the company, the drive is encased in aircraft-grade aluminum, keeping your stored data safe and secure. The drive is also capable of playing host to a copy of Windows 8 or higher. Simply download and install the company's Boot Camp drivers, and then install the operating system on the SSD stick. This means users can boot up into Windows without the need for partitioning the local hard drive.

"This new line of ultra-portable drives delivers among the highest levels of reliability and performance in an SSD, but adds an incomparable level of convenience. Imagine…over 400MB/s of reliable storage speed that can attach to [a] key ring and can provide a full Windows environment wherever you require it," said Mark Bilson, Executive Vice President of VisionTek.

VisionTek indicates that this SSD-on-a-stick is ideal for downloading and saving uncompressed HD content. Parents can even use the stick to create a safe environment for their kids. Does your tablet or smartphone support USB OTG? Connect the drive and quickly back up your pictures and videos.

VisionTek's new SSD competes directly with the likes of Corsair, which offers the Flash Voyager GTX. Corsair's storage device, sold in 128 GB ($134.99) and 256 GB ($264.99) capacities, also utilizes an SSD controller. The drive is even encased in a durable brushed metal housing, and provides USB 3.0 connectivity. Read speeds are up to 450 MB/s and sequential write speeds are up to 360 MB/s.

But what seems to make VisionTek's solution stand out against the Corsair product is its ability to boot into a full Windows environment. That said, users can move from one computer to another with a full copy of Windows intact, and don't need to bother with re-saving configurations, files and so on. You can even run Windows 8 on a Mac computer thanks to the SSD.

Customers can buy VisionTek's 120 GB model now for $109.99, and the 240 GB version for $174.99. They're available at VisionTek, Dell, Newegg and Tiger Direct.

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Kevin Parrish
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • WyomingKnott
    That's a re-badge of a - can't tell you now, it's in my dresser drawer at home. Awesome device; I can do automated build and test on it at work faster than on the PCs internal hard drive.

    On the other hand, that fin-like design (needed for heat) came with such a sharp edge on the tail end that I got cut before I noticed it. I had to file it down.

    Edit: Here it is. It's a Mushkin. Or they both hired the same design firm and got gypped. http://poweredbymushkin.com/index.php/component/djcatalog2/item?id=751:ventura-ultra-120gb-flash-drive&cid=33:ventura-ultra

    And here it is on Tom's: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/mushkin-frostbyte-scorpion-helix-ventura,25678.html
    Reply
  • dovah-chan
    I was about to say that it was a Mushkin Ventura; as soon as I saw the article title I knew it would be a rebrand or related to it in some way.

    Reply
  • NoneBeforeNoneAfter
    Imagine a design where you run High Speed sata SSD STICKS drives directly to the motherbard. No wires. of course they would have to include power into a new Sata port to make it wireless. Now with a mini MB you can reduce size of case even more. I imagine like 8 or more sticks stacked at the front of the mother board. I love it... No Wires to drives.
    Reply
  • Sprinx
    Last I checked, you need to have a license for Windows 8 Enterprise edition to install Windows on the go. This caveat greatly limits the number of people who can use this drive for that purpose. Basically, if you're not part of a large corporation with expensive licensing agreements with Microsoft, you're never going to see Windows on a flash drive.
    Reply
  • WyomingKnott
    14441192 said:
    if you're not part of a large corporation with expensive licensing agreements with Microsoft, you're never going to see Windows on a flash drive.

    At least not legally.
    Reply
  • GeekDad63
    This drive shares the external case but has solved the overheat/throttling issue so not the same as the Mushkin.
    Reply
  • WyomingKnott
    Did they solve the finger-slicing issue, too?

    And does solving the overheat/throttling issue mean that, in practice, it's faster than my Mushkin? Cool!
    Reply
  • GeekDad63
    I didn't see anything mentioned about WTG...this can be used like any other external bootable drive with a copy Windows 8 on it. Plenty of articles on web that say how to create such...
    Reply
  • GeekDad63
    14441758 said:
    Did they solve the finger-slicing issue, too?

    And does solving the overheat/throttling issue mean that, in practice, it's faster than my Mushkin? Cool!

    Seems like Linus at LinusTechTips didn't have any issues with it...other than the cap likely to be lost and the product name.
    Reply
  • petsche
    Is this really limited to Windows 8 or is it possible to boot and run Windows 7 using this as the only drive a system?
    Reply