I don’t know if anyone else’s school did this, but every year when I took the ever dreaded grade school picture, I was given a free plastic comb. Usually in a variety of bold colors, these combs always had a little inscription that read “unbreakable.” But for a grade schooler, it wasn’t just an informative adjective. It was a challenge.
My entire class would spend the rest of the day trying to break those plastic combs. And eventually after much persistent bending, one lucky kid would prove the inscription wrong. And with bleeding thumbs, the child would exclaim, “This hot pink comb lied to me! It’s not unbreakable at all!”
I like to believe that the ATP ToughDrive Camo USB 2.0 Flash Drive was trying to do the same thing the comb makers were: create a durable product that can withstand a dangerous environment (i.e. grade school classrooms, Iraq). The ToughDrive is housed in synthetic polymer making it water resistant, shock absorbing, and resistant to extreme temperature and dust.
However, it’s good to know there are still people out there that consider such a claim more of a challenge. But as you can see in the following obnoxiously loud video, the ToughDrive Camo holds up to its promise, well, almost to the very end.
So ignore the legal stuff in the user’s manual that reads, "Keep this Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Flash Disk away from heat, direct sunlight, and water. Do not bend, flex, or drop it.” The ToughDrive can take all of the above and more. However, although the name holds up, my experience with some of the other features was disappointing.
First, let’s take a look at the ToughDrive USB 2.0 specs:
- Certified High Speed USB 1.1/2.0
- Dimensions: 2 1/2" x 3/4"
- Smooth synthetic Polymer Housing with side grips
- LED Status Light
- Carabiner
- 2-year warranty
- Available with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of storage
- Data transfer rate of 30MB/sec with USB 2.0 port
- Enhanced ReadyBoost for Windows (With this feature, the USB flash is used to increase system memory and performance for Windows Vista.)
- Compatible with Windows 98SE and above, Mac OS 9.0 and above, and Linux Kernel 2.4.0 and above
My ToughDrive was supposed to be the 4GB version; however, when I opened the user manual and started tinkering with my toy, I realized there was only 38 MB of storage space, which wouldn’t allow me to take advantage of the Ready Boost feature for Windows Vista or 30 MB/sec transfer rate. And alas, all my attempts at reformatting were useless.
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