Kingston DataTraveler 101 G2

1. HardwareInsight.com

This cursory listing identifies the "top USB drives" for the year 2010, including the DataTraveler Generation 2 32 GB model. "If you are looking for a cheap and reliable solution to store all your important data, photos and videos, DataTraveler G2 is ideal for you."

Review: 7 Hi-Speed and Professional Flash Drives for 2010, Jawad Masood, June 16, 2010

2. YouTube.com

LinusTechTips are a popular series of unboxing and review videos, amassing more than 42 million views. This unboxing is labeled the DataTraveler 101, but it's clear from close-ups of the product that this is in fact the Kingston DT 101 Generation 2 in the 16 GB size. "It's all about cost per gigabyte" on this drive, he notes. He declares it sturdy, and a write-speed test of a 100 MB file shows its transfer speed is faster than Kingston claims.

Review: Kingston Datatraveler 101 Unboxing & Performance Test Linus Tech Tips, "Linus", Nov. 16, 2010

3. Amazon.com

More than 800 consumers give the Kingston DataTraveler 101 Generation 2 USB flash drive (in all its capacities) an overall average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Over 500 reviewers give the drive a perfect 5-star rating, commenting repeatedly that read and write tests show the Kingston DT 101 Gen 2 to be faster than the manufacturer claims and raving that it's simple to use and reliable. They praise the urDrive software as a way to keep files organized, and compliment the swiveling cap design, though some say the cap moves too easily after extended use.

Review: Kingston Digital DataTraveler 101 Generation 2 - 16 GB Flash Drive DT101G2/16GBZET, Contributors to Amazon.com

4. NewEgg.com

More than 25 users review the Kingston DataTraveler 101 Generation 2 USB flash drive 16 GB version, giving it an overall score of 4 out of 5 eggs. Newegg's technically savvy users praise the transfer speed for a USB 2.0 drive, commenting (as many Amazon.com users had) that the DT 101 G2's read and write speeds tested as higher than advertised, though nothing near top-end drives. Those who marked the drive down complain that it takes too long to be recognized after being plugged in. Some feel a lanyard should have been included. Several sent it through the washer with no apparent consequences.

Review: Kingston DataTraveler 101 Gen 2 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive (Black) Model DT101G2/16GBZ, Contributors to Newegg.com

5. USBFlashSpeed.com

USBFlashSpeed.com attempts to collect read and write benchmark testing for every USB flash drive on the market. In this compilation of more than 54 user benchmark tests, it finds the average read speed to be 19.56 Mbps and the average write speed to be 6.64 Mbps. The drive is rated at 10 Mbps for read speed and 5 Mbps write speed, so actual performance is better than claimed. The site does not draw conclusions or make recommendations based on the tests.

Review: KINGSTON / Kingston DT 101 G2 / 4Gb, Contributors to USBFlashSpeed.com

6. Amazon.co.uk

Amazon's U.K. site maintains a separate database of user reviews from the U.S. site, but the U.K. version is identical to the U.S. model. Nearly 400 reviewers give the Kingston DataTraveler 101 Generation 2 USB flash drive an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, with nearly 300 awarding it a perfect score. Users lavish praise upon its value, rating it down for having a small lanyard hole, uncertainty about the swivel cap's durability, and its speed as compared to market-leading drives.

Review: Kingston DataTraveler 101 Gen 2 16GB USB Drive Ð Black, Contributors to Amazon.co.uk