Price : Too low to display
Remember those first steps, birthdays, weddings, family reunions, graduations, and moments with best friends? The past has been filled with some of the best memories of our lives; some we can easily recall and others seem to elude us with time. SanDisk has created the SanDisk® Memory Vault to ensure your photos and videos last for generations*. Preserve your life’s most cherished moments with the SanDisk Memory Vault.
This review is from : SanDisk Flash Memory Vault 16 GB Flash Drive SDARC1-016G-U46
Solid Quality . The SanDisk "Memory Vault" *feels* like top quality. The heavy metal case is impressive! The "breathing" red LED lends a nice futuristic impression.When you get right down to it though, this is just another "USB Flash Drive". As best I recall, all flash memory will retain data for "100 years", the key technical factor is how many times a particular bit is rewritten. This is the only flash drive I've seen though which appears to keep track of it's usage and switches to "read only" mode after excessive usage.Unlike most flash drives, the SanDisk "Memory Vault" is not light, portable or easy to use (compared to other flash drives). Certainly it's portable, but it has a nice hefty non-trivial weight. It is larger than every other flash drive I've owned (3.25" x 1.75"). But the most inconvenient is that it uses a cable to connect to your computer rather than plugging straight in.This is a nice impressive flash drive, but you'll have to judge whether it's worth paying triple the price for the "quality". Surprisingly lacking are features such as encryption or some other form of locking or protection. Of course if you intend to read it 100 years from now (will we still have USB ports?) you might not want some obsolete encryption which is long forgotten.All in all, this is a nice high quality product with a great futuristic appearance.
Solid Quality . The SanDisk "Memory Vault" *feels* like top quality. The heavy metal case is impressive! The "breathing" red LED lends a nice futuristic impression.When you get right down to it though, this is just another "USB Flash Drive". As best I recall, all flash memory will retain data for "100 years", the key technical factor is how many times a particular bit is rewritten. This is the only flash drive I've seen though which appears to keep track of it's usage and switches to "read only" mode after excessive usage.Unlike most flash drives, the SanDisk "Memory Vault" is not light, portable or easy to use (compared to other flash drives). Certainly it's portable, but it has a nice hefty non-trivial weight. It is larger than every other flash drive I've owned (3.25" x 1.75"). But the most inconvenient is that it uses a cable to connect to your computer rather than plugging straight in.This is a nice impressive flash drive, but you'll have to judge whether it's worth paying triple the price for the "quality". Surprisingly lacking are features such as encryption or some other form of locking or protection. Of course if you intend to read it 100 years from now (will we still have USB ports?) you might not want some obsolete encryption which is long forgotten.All in all, this is a nice high quality product with a great futuristic appearance.
SanDisk Flash Memory Vault 16 GB Flash Drive SDARC1-016G-U46 Reviews
Is it really as good as Sandisk says? Not 100% sure but it does work . Long term data storage is a relatively big problem now that we're putting more and more of our lives on computers. Normal optical media supposedly only lasts "up to" 10 years. Normal flash drives lose data over time. Mechanical drives have parts that wear out, etc. There is a company bringing DVD-R-like drives and discs to the market that supposedly last at least 1000 years (they need special drives to be written to, but anything can read them). I've very curious about those, but I don't think they're out yet.At any rate, SanDisk's flash memory vault supposedly lasts longer than normal flash memory-"up to" 100 years. Sandisk provides a website with info about it, but it doesn't really explain why it supposedly lasts longer. Just that supposedly it's using a custom controller and flash that last better.They don't say, but one thing they might be doing is using SLC flash instead of the far more common MLC. SLC costs much more, but can also last much better because it's only storing one value per location, instead of 2. The cell has to degrade a lot more before the data would be lost. So I'd GUESS that's one of the things they're doing with this drive, but they don't say.Sandisk is one of the oldest and biggest producers of flash memory, so I'm inclined to believe them when they say this will last better...though it would be great to know for sure! I've had cheaper flash die on me with just a few uses...if nothing else I've never had a Sandisk product die on me so far.The unit is packaged with a small sort of felt-like slip cover you can stick it in, and includes a USB cable (the drive's powered by USB). The physical unit is surprisingly heavy. It FEELS well built, and like there must be metal used in its construction. It's got a pulsing orange light on it when in use.Performance is around 6MB/s for writes, and 18ish-20ishMB/s reads. Pretty normal for a flash drive, and much slower than a normal hard drive.Besides being unsure about how long this will really last, the other obvious issue is just that it costs a lot for the amount of storage you get (another reason I'm guessing they're using more expensive SLC flash). It's enough to back up documents, but probably a lot of people have more than 8GB of photos they've taken-to say nothing of video!But at any rate, the Flash Memory Vault works, and given Sandisk's reputation probably really is better than normal flash drives for longer term storage.
Is it really as good as Sandisk says? Not 100% sure but it does work . Long term data storage is a relatively big problem now that we're putting more and more of our lives on computers. Normal optical media supposedly only lasts "up to" 10 years. Normal flash drives lose data over time. Mechanical drives have parts that wear out, etc. There is a company bringing DVD-R-like drives and discs to the market that supposedly last at least 1000 years (they need special drives to be written to, but anything can read them). I've very curious about those, but I don't think they're out yet.At any rate, SanDisk's flash memory vault supposedly lasts longer than normal flash memory-"up to" 100 years. Sandisk provides a website with info about it, but it doesn't really explain why it supposedly lasts longer. Just that supposedly it's using a custom controller and flash that last better.They don't say, but one thing they might be doing is using SLC flash instead of the far more common MLC. SLC costs much more, but can also last much better because it's only storing one value per location, instead of 2. The cell has to degrade a lot more before the data would be lost. So I'd GUESS that's one of the things they're doing with this drive, but they don't say.Sandisk is one of the oldest and biggest producers of flash memory, so I'm inclined to believe them when they say this will last better...though it would be great to know for sure! I've had cheaper flash die on me with just a few uses...if nothing else I've never had a Sandisk product die on me so far.The unit is packaged with a small sort of felt-like slip cover you can stick it in, and includes a USB cable (the drive's powered by USB). The physical unit is surprisingly heavy. It FEELS well built, and like there must be metal used in its construction. It's got a pulsing orange light on it when in use.Performance is around 6MB/s for writes, and 18ish-20ishMB/s reads. Pretty normal for a flash drive, and much slower than a normal hard drive.Besides being unsure about how long this will really last, the other obvious issue is just that it costs a lot for the amount of storage you get (another reason I'm guessing they're using more expensive SLC flash). It's enough to back up documents, but probably a lot of people have more than 8GB of photos they've taken-to say nothing of video!But at any rate, the Flash Memory Vault works, and given Sandisk's reputation probably really is better than normal flash drives for longer term storage.
SanDisk Flash Memory Vault 16 GB Flash Drive SDARC1-016G-U46 Opinions
SanDisk Flash Memory Vault . I think this is worth buying. You can get a virus in your computer and loose all of your pictures and videos. I did what the owners manal told me to do. I did not see anything pop up after it said installed. I had to plug it in again. then I had a choice of opening it up. You then go to your videos. Click on the video you want to save then slide it over to the device. It then copies it for you. I am not that good with computers so I hope this at least gives you an idea of how it works. It says on the box tested to support data for up to 100 years! Can't beat that.
SanDisk Flash Memory Vault . I think this is worth buying. You can get a virus in your computer and loose all of your pictures and videos. I did what the owners manal told me to do. I did not see anything pop up after it said installed. I had to plug it in again. then I had a choice of opening it up. You then go to your videos. Click on the video you want to save then slide it over to the device. It then copies it for you. I am not that good with computers so I hope this at least gives you an idea of how it works. It says on the box tested to support data for up to 100 years! Can't beat that.
A robust USB flash drive with memory rated for 100 years . This is a flash drive with a difference, actually several differences.
1) Unlike other USB flash drives this one is in what looks to be a very secure case. The case looks to be very rugged and capable of withstanding some of the usual hazards, such as dropping, that might damage a conventional drive. However, the instructions say to keep it away from water, so I assume that the case is not waterproof. I am not sure if the outside of the case is made from plastic with an aluminum coating or if it is made of aluminum. Whatever the outside of it is made of there must be some sort of interior metal framework as the device is heaver that it would be if it were made completely of plastic or aluminum. I weighed it on a small kitchen scale and it came in at about 3.25 ounces (about 90 grams). In contrast an SD memory card weighed only one gram.
2) The memory is rated for 100 years. This is difficult to contrast to a standard memory stick or SD card, as I do not know how long their memory is expected to last, nor do I know how to verify such a long life.
3) Unlike other memory sticks, this one does not have an internal USB port. Rather, one connects to it through a USB cable. I found this to be both good and bad. Good because the port on the cable did not block adjacent USB ports as it does on some other flash drives. Bad because one needs a separate cable. However, a case is provided for the drive and the cable so that they can easily be kept together.
4) The loading process was the same as with any other flash drive and operated without any problems, but the usable memory is actually only 7.45 MB, so I could not quite load all of the family pictures that I wanted to. I was able to delete some pictures and work with the drive as I would have with any other flash drive.
5) The drive has a red LED in the case that tells you if the drive is connected and it flashes when transferring files. My other USB flash drives also have this feature, but I can place this drive next to my keyboard so I can see the light. My other flash drives, which are not connected by a cable, remain hidden under my desk, where the guts of my computer resides. I prefer to buy SD cards that I can use in my camera and as a flash drive when it is inserted in an adapter. Unfortunately, this drive is like a conventional flash drive in that it cannot be used in a camera. I guess to be able to remove an internal SD card would have defeated the integrity of the case and therefore its reliability. So what do you get - you get a robust USB flash drive that operated like any other flash drive, but is in a much more rugged case and has a memory that is supposed to last 100 years. It appears to meet all of the advertised specifications, at least the ones that I could test. This drive can obviously (if the claimed life is correct) be used for very long-term storage, but there are several other ways to do this. However, it is not clear how long the memory on SD cards, flash drives or DVD's will last and "cloud" storage can be more costly over the long run. There is also a very real possibility that the storage company may not be around 100 years from now. Of course there is a very high probability that 100 years from now computers may not even have USB ports or that their systems may not even be able to read the contents of the drive, however, your descendents would probably be able to find a museum or company that specializes of the retrieval of media of this type, just as you can find (with difficulty) organizations that can read real-to-real tapes and 8-inch floppy disks. I also see a unique use for this drive - I can see someone using this drive to transport very critical pictures, videos or files. I assessing this drive I have not taken its price into account because it is clearly stated and I believe that it is up to the potential purchaser to determine if the special features inherent with this drive warrant the higher cost relative to other flash drives.
1) Unlike other USB flash drives this one is in what looks to be a very secure case. The case looks to be very rugged and capable of withstanding some of the usual hazards, such as dropping, that might damage a conventional drive. However, the instructions say to keep it away from water, so I assume that the case is not waterproof. I am not sure if the outside of the case is made from plastic with an aluminum coating or if it is made of aluminum. Whatever the outside of it is made of there must be some sort of interior metal framework as the device is heaver that it would be if it were made completely of plastic or aluminum. I weighed it on a small kitchen scale and it came in at about 3.25 ounces (about 90 grams). In contrast an SD memory card weighed only one gram.
2) The memory is rated for 100 years. This is difficult to contrast to a standard memory stick or SD card, as I do not know how long their memory is expected to last, nor do I know how to verify such a long life.
3) Unlike other memory sticks, this one does not have an internal USB port. Rather, one connects to it through a USB cable. I found this to be both good and bad. Good because the port on the cable did not block adjacent USB ports as it does on some other flash drives. Bad because one needs a separate cable. However, a case is provided for the drive and the cable so that they can easily be kept together.
4) The loading process was the same as with any other flash drive and operated without any problems, but the usable memory is actually only 7.45 MB, so I could not quite load all of the family pictures that I wanted to. I was able to delete some pictures and work with the drive as I would have with any other flash drive.
5) The drive has a red LED in the case that tells you if the drive is connected and it flashes when transferring files. My other USB flash drives also have this feature, but I can place this drive next to my keyboard so I can see the light. My other flash drives, which are not connected by a cable, remain hidden under my desk, where the guts of my computer resides. I prefer to buy SD cards that I can use in my camera and as a flash drive when it is inserted in an adapter. Unfortunately, this drive is like a conventional flash drive in that it cannot be used in a camera. I guess to be able to remove an internal SD card would have defeated the integrity of the case and therefore its reliability. So what do you get - you get a robust USB flash drive that operated like any other flash drive, but is in a much more rugged case and has a memory that is supposed to last 100 years. It appears to meet all of the advertised specifications, at least the ones that I could test. This drive can obviously (if the claimed life is correct) be used for very long-term storage, but there are several other ways to do this. However, it is not clear how long the memory on SD cards, flash drives or DVD's will last and "cloud" storage can be more costly over the long run. There is also a very real possibility that the storage company may not be around 100 years from now. Of course there is a very high probability that 100 years from now computers may not even have USB ports or that their systems may not even be able to read the contents of the drive, however, your descendents would probably be able to find a museum or company that specializes of the retrieval of media of this type, just as you can find (with difficulty) organizations that can read real-to-real tapes and 8-inch floppy disks. I also see a unique use for this drive - I can see someone using this drive to transport very critical pictures, videos or files. I assessing this drive I have not taken its price into account because it is clearly stated and I believe that it is up to the potential purchaser to determine if the special features inherent with this drive warrant the higher cost relative to other flash drives.
A solution in search of a problem? . Basically, as has been noted in the other two reviews already up, this is a flash drive that essentially performs the same function as any other flash drive: at heart a memory device. So, if used as what it's advertised for, it's a form of backup.At fifty bucks for 8 gigs of memory (the capacity of the unit I tested), it's really, really pricey. You can get a SanDisk 8 gig memory card right here on Amazon for about 4 bucks. This is over ten times more expensive.I can't figure out anything it can do that you can't do on any other memory card. It is, of course, much more robust than a memory card, so you do get physical protection of your data.At 8 gigs (or even 16) you're not going to be able to store a huge number of pictures, or especially home movies, on it.The advertised longevity of the stored data is 100+ years. I have no idea how long data will remain uncorrupted on a memory card. A long time, I suspect, if it's not being accessed and altered.If you're looking for secure backup, external hard drives are waaaaaaay less expensive per gig of RAM.I'm really puzzled as to what market niche SanDisk is trying to access with this device.
Cons Review
Quality product but a poor value . I like SanDisk products a lot and I have purchased their memory and storage devices on more than one occasion. But I've got to tell you that I think this item is a flat-out poor value.I suppose if we get hit by a nuclear blast and I survive, I might be happy that I've stored important data on this metal-encased flash drive as compared to a basic USB flash drive. But as of this writing, Amazon offers a SanDisk 8 gb USB jump drive for under $7. If you store data on either SanDisk drive, will it last 100 years? Who knows? I'll be long dead for sure. In 50 years I'll probably also be toast, although I could make it that long. I'm not entirely convinced the data that would still be on the SanDisk Memory Vault wouldn't also still be on the SanDisk USB flash drive. And if the data's corrupted decades from now, what do you do then? Do you hit up SanDisk for warranty replacement in 25 or 50 or 100 years (if they're still around)? Even if they are around, your data would still be gone and I'm pretty sure that drives of this type would be totally obsolete.It certainly works as you'd expect it to and seems to be well-made. You'd expect nothing less from a top-tier company like SanDisk. The Memory Vault is a lot more bulky and heavy than a USB jump drive and you also have to use a separate cable to attach it to your computer, which is inconvenient.I went back and forth trying to decide what rating to give this device. Again, SanDisk is a leader in the field and the quality of this item seems top-notch. Understand that we Vine members are provided with manufacturer's samples at no cost and review them in order to help buyers make an informed decision and I take this obligation seriously. If we are not honest in our evaluations, then the Vine reviews will not be credible. So I asked myself, "Self, is there any way you'd pay roughly $50 for this thing, or roughly $90 for the 16 gb version, as of this writing?" The answer is that there is no way that I'd pay their current asking price. Not only that, but again I don't like the relatively bulky format and separate cable that's required to use the device. I can't say that this isn't more stable memory, as it may very well be. But frankly, the entire marketing theme seems somewhat gimmicky to me. It seems like a way to squeeze more revenue out of a product that's similar to what you could typically buy much cheaper. Even if it does exactly what they say, I've never experienced information that was lost from a corrputed jump drive. I'm sure it happens though, but to me it's all about cost vs. benefit and this device fails in that analysis, in my view.If they offered a lot more storage for a similar price, or perhaps even a higher price, I might consider it. But as it stands, I consider this item to be a poor value and if I wouldn't buy it with my own money, I cannot suggest that you buy it with yours.
Product Image
Feature SanDisk Flash Memory Vault 16 GB Flash Drive SDARC1-016G-U46
- Long-term solution for the memories worth preserving for generations*
- Protects the quality of photos and videos
- Tested to support data retention for up to 100 years*
- Create your own memory museum to preserve your special moments
- Designed for long-term reliability and durability
- 1.1. Save family digital heirlooms
- Trust your memories from the global leader in flash memory cards
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Product Details
EAN : 0619659070618UPC : 619659070618
MPN : 0619659070618
Brand : SanDisk
Weight : 1 pounds
Height : 2 inches
Length : 6 inches
Width : 4 inches
Binding : Personal Computers
Manufacturer : SanDisk
Model : SDARC1-016G-U46
Publisher : SanDisk
Size : 16 GB
SKU : 552608
Studio : SanDisk
Where To Buy
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