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1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 The Lexar Echo SE 16GB USB Thumb Drive - Nice Performance, OK Software, Terrible Build Quality Jul 15, 2010
The Lexar Echo SE 16 GB USB 2.0 Backup Drive is a disappointment. I purchase a lot of USB drives, from cheap to expensive, for a variety of needs. Even out of all the low cost budget drives I have bought, this one has one of the weakest constructions.
One reason to purchase a thumb drive is portability. The plastic surface has a tacky texture that doesn't seem fragile. I learned how easily broken this drive could be when the lanyard bar broke from simply having a lanyard attached to it to carry it. So this device would be easily lost if you were to have it break on you or if you were carrying it loose in your pocket.
PROS:
++ Data transfer speeds are better than most similar drives
++16 GB capacity allows for good sized backups
++ Fat32 formatted for compatibility
++ Compatible with Mac and PC operating systems (Windows 7, XP, Vista, OS X)
++ Very light case
++ USB 2.0 connection is backwards compatible for older computers
++ Retractable designs means no worries about lost caps
++ Easy to format and enable encryption to protect your data
CONS:
-- Body design is weak and larger than necessary; rear bar is easily broken
-- Slower mounts and stops than other USB drives I have
-- Premium cost
-- Other software alternatives can do the same and be installed on any drive
THE SOFTWARE
The included software is OK and is much less disappointing than most included software. For those wondering why it doesn't "do anything" when they insert it, you have to launch the software manually and can then have it install on your computer for automatic backups. That's actually a good thing. Companies have gotten a lot of flack over software that installs itself without giving users the choice.
The install files include "EchoBackup_Win.exe" for Windows computers and "EchoBackup_Mac" for Macs. I only tested the Windows version, but it has a sufficient number of options, including encrypting backups and setting up folders that will automatically get backed up whenever the drive is inserted. My only comment about it is that there are tons of free software programs that will do the same thing and can easily be copied to a thumb-drive. So I wouldn't choose this drive based on the added software.
There are a few ways in order to enable encryption. The best way may be to use another tool to encrypt the drive after re-formatting it. This way you can test the drive as well as use the encryption you prefer.
THE PERFORMANCE
Copying files to this drive was on the higher end of the speed range offered by USB 2.0 thumb drives.
Average Read Speed: 21.2 MB/s
Average Write Speed: 9.5 MB/s
Speeds with the included software were comparable, which is better than most software offers.
CONCLUSION
The 16 GB capacity makes this drive useful for file backups and USB storage. The retractable head means you don't have to worry about losing a cap, but you might have to worry about getting dust or debris into the tip.
Everything about this drive would have been acceptable if not for the poor build quality. Considering the premium, I would lean on choosing an alternative. This is a drive I wanted to love but it doesn't perform up to par. There are many higher end drives by Kingston, Sandisk, Patriot, Corsair and others that can be used for backups but have much better builds. I would research some of those.
Happy shopping.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Any Review LESS than 4 Stars Is Criminal... A Great 16 GB At A Phenomenal Price! Jun 24, 2010
The Lexar Echo SE 16 GB USB backup drive really delivers. This product does what it claims, and if you know how to use a backup drive, will find this particular product a dream to work with your computer and files.
Great for storing photos, documents and music. ( If you want to backup video, please select a larger GB). This is perfect, especially for me and my work as an amateur photographer. This backup USP drive is easy to use, SUPER portable and works like a charm! Great item for the price!
Exactly what it says it is Jun 21, 2010
This is a fairly simple product - a 16GB thumb drive with included back-up software. Anyone with the slightest understanding of their PC's filing system, i.e. what's in the My Documents folders and sub-folders will be right at home with this software.
Some pros and cons of this unit:
Pros:
* Fast transfer speed
* Intuitive backup software with options to set the frequency of the backups
* Rubberized soft touch casing adds a hint of luxury
* Retractable connector means no part to lose.
* Compression software enables more storage over equivalent space.
* Attractive blue LED "X" in Lexar
Cons:
* No lanyard for transport
* Retractable head means that dust and lint can more easily find their way into the connector.
* The Adobe instruction manual (the readme file) didn't say which program to click on for either the Windows or Mac version. The only actual time I was slightly confused using this product. Adding this little bit of clarifying info would have been helpful even though I did figure it out.
Price is subjective, if you need a very portable or discrete back up solution then you are stuck with this more expensive type of product. If you don't, than I would go with a hard drive as the cost/GB is much lower.
So to sum, this is a simple product, it either fits your needs well and is a great product/option or it doesn't. I personally find a backup volume of 16GB kinda strange as I have nothing that really fits this size, even with the compression software. That said, this is the perfect product for someone who needs this combination of size and space (you know who you are) and for them it is highly recommened.
Excellent! Jun 17, 2010
This is a great product! Easy, convenient and fast! Holds a TON of information and does so fast and efficiently. Highly recommend!
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Powerful, fast, and one that I won't let go of! Jun 16, 2010
I go through USB flash drives like crazy. I use them to transfer training data to my customers and coworkers. Just like cheap ink pens, people tend to keep my 1 and 2GB drives. Also, it's kind of hard to bug a customer to give you back something that is fairly inexpensive so I just let them keep it.
A couple of years ago I was given an expensive (over three hundred dollar) ink pen. I was afraid to use it since I can't keep track of my cheap ones and I didn't want to lose this guy. What I found was two things: first, other people recognize that it is an expensive writing instrument and will hand it back to me when they are done with it. Secondly, I keep better track of it since I value so much.
I had similar feelings about using a nice, more expensive USB drive like this one. However, I have found that, just like with my pen, I keep better track of it and since it has a larger capacity I can keep much more data on it. Because of that I have no problem in asking for it back.
I am not as technical as some folks when it comes to flash drives, I have found it to be plenty fast and very well made. I plan on keeping it for a long while.
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