Kingston outs world’s first 256GB USB flash drive

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.

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.