Kingston outs world’s first 256GB USB flash drive
Storage - Tuesday, July 21st, 2009

Kingston outs world’s first 256GB USB flash drive   Kingston DT300

With all the solid state products that are being released every day, another 256GB portable drive with a USB interface might not mean much anymore. But Kingston’s new DataTraveler 300 isn’t a portable external drive like, say, Silicon Power’s 256GB M10 SSD with a dual (USB/SATA) interface. It’s an actual USB thumb drive (albeit a bit bigger than today’s usual USB flash drives). With a 256GB capacity. Put into perspective, this here is a flash drive that possibly trumps the size of your netbook or notebook’s built-in hard drive.

The 256GB capacity breaks the former record of 128GB for a flash drive held by products such as Super Talent’s Luxio and their own 128GB flash drive, the DataTraveler 200. Aside from the large capacity, the DT300 also offers password protection for Windows systems, and is capable of speeds of up to 20MB/s read and 10MB/s write. The 2.78-inch long body features a capless design with a retractable USB connector.

Kingston outs world’s first 256GB USB flash drive   Kingston DT300 2

The 256GB DataTraveler 300 comes with a 5-year warranty and currently retails for around $900 in the UK, but it’s also listed to be available in the Far East, Europe, Middle East, and Africa only. No word on a North American release yet.

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  • UncleB

    That's a lot of data to have in your pocket, readily transferable to each of your computers! When the new software from India surfaces state-si9de, that makes this sort of power usable, we will all gratefully say good bye to Vista et. al., and gracefully and painlessly slide over to Linux bases like Ubuntu and the stuff from India written for advances like this

  • TB

    “The 256GB capacity breaks the former record of 128MB…”
    I assume GB is meant? But honestly, who needs this? Sure, it is convenient, being small, but then so are netbooks. Unless you're ridiculously rich or bored as hell, I don't see how you'd validly justify this…

  • glorybe2

    The price may stink but wait a few months and the price may become trivial. When USB3 comes out one might run an unusually competitive computer from such a drive.

  • http://yvtv.oblivioninc.com/ Aeryn

    Why on earth would they make the actual USB jack retractable? I have a Kingston USB drive and after a few months the thing is so loose that it's very hard to even get into a computer.

  • bchzd2

    Imagine this the one that needs not justify. Specifically TB. Do you back data up? , do transfer data? Do you format and save? Just simple uses. 256 isn't really crap but it puts a good dent in shit. Again…256 isn't much but it is a dent. Then imagine what you would have to deal with if that was just your HDD. Now you have something to bitch about. STFU. It's a killer breakthrough moron.. (must be a windows user)

  • trs_sean

    Typo corrected. You were right, that was supposed to be “128GB.” My bad.

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  • George

    i can't wait to get one!!

  • trg

    Too much for this be better with an usb adapter that works with ATA or Sata. Pick up an old 120 gb or less for around $45.00 Cable and An HD form $20-$100 used HD works just as good as usb drives. Buy doing this could put all hard drive into a series in a brief case and have tons of stoarge. Why spend $900 for this DIY project with cable and be more cheaper trough ebay or your local computer shop may have old drives for just for you to buy.

  • Name

    $900 is retarded.

    256 GB is useful obviously, but anyone who would pay >$100 for ANY flash drive is idiotic.

    I got a 32 GB flash drive for $9 online. I got a WD portable 400 GB HDD for $120. There is no reason to ever pay $900 for storage.

  • Name

    ???? what did you just say?

  • mcspazzerton

    $900 is really a lot for a thumb drive, but I guess in this case, you're paying for this drive's portability–let's face it, while a portable HDD is (way way) cheaper, you can't just stick one in your pocket like you can do with a thumb drive.

    Like everything else, the price will surely drop as tech evolution takes its course… after all, the first thumbdrive (8MB) had a pretty steep price when it first came out too.

  • spaceface

    How about people who actually work with computers? Motion, graphic and web designers/developers who need to transfer big files to offline workstations/clients.

    Within a decade (or less) 256GB isn't going to be enough for most general users, mark my words.

    Remember that NASA went to the moon with 32k read only storage devices and had a processor of 4.077MHz. That's 0.004077 GHz. Any mobile on the market today has greater processing power and storage capability than the Apollo craft taken to the damn Moon!

  • Patrick

    This is a very interesting post, since this is the first usb flash drive that has a 256Gb memory capacity. Moreover, I do think that the price is ridiculously because I got a 1Tb Wd Essential External Hard drive for $102. So why do I need to spend more than that when I can get something cheap with a higher capacity. And of course, bringing a 4Gb usb flash drive is way much enough when it's for school and office work. Though the good thing about that is that you don't need to bring your external hard drive passport when you travel. And upon reading one of the comments that there will be a usb3, then i guess the price of this one will drop rapidly to cater more consumers.

    This is in fact a very interesting post but I wonder, if there's a need to buy this usb.

  • http://www.4abetteryou.netau.net/ terry

    too pricey for my blood.

  • http://www.4abetteryou.netau.net/ terry

    too expensive for me.

  • http://www.4abetteryou.netau.net/ terry

    too pricey for my blood.

  • http://www.4abetteryou.netau.net/ terry

    too expensive for me.

  • mikewinburn

    I would say the need lies in its portability. I too have a WD Passport Essention SE, but what I hate is it just copies the drive. If I delete files off the computer, the essential will delete them off itself when it syncs. That bites!
    If I want to take 2 GB off the bedroom computer, and 10 GB off the laptop, and another 20 GB off another laptop, I can't do it with the WD.
    I'd have to buy a seperate Newtork Storage Drive to store all files without losing them when I sync.

    1 TB USB? Ah..now we're talkin'. (But, truth be told, I would want to spend only USD$1000 for it.)

  • mikewinburn

    I would say the need lies in its portability. I too have a WD Passport Essention SE, but what I hate is it just copies the drive. If I delete files off the computer, the essential will delete them off itself when it syncs. That bites!
    If I want to take 2 GB off the bedroom computer, and 10 GB off the laptop, and another 20 GB off another laptop, I can't do it with the WD.
    I'd have to buy a seperate Newtork Storage Drive to store all files without losing them when I sync.

    1 TB USB? Ah..now we're talkin'. (But, truth be told, I would want to spend only USD$1000 for it.)

  • http://ggtal.blogspot.com/ gigatalia

    a little too pricey but for a usb “thumb” drive, i'd say it is understandable. for now, it's not really a “must have” gadget unless you really plan to travel light. demand will gradually increase once the price becomes more budget-wise.

  • http://ggtal.blogspot.com/ gigatalia

    a little too pricey but for a usb “thumb” drive, i'd say it is understandable. for now, it's not really a “must have” gadget unless you really plan to travel light. demand will gradually increase once the price becomes more budget-wise.

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