"Ready Boost Enabled" USB Flash Drives

[John Gray]

Since I needed to buy half a dozen or so USB Flash Drives today, I was interested to note that some makes/models were described as "Ready Boost Enabled".

Does this attribution have any actual meaning, or is it merely advertising puff in the same way that Super Fast usually is?

[HansV]

ReadyBoost lets you use a flash drive as an extra disk cache in Windows Vista and Windows 7. Do you need that?

(See ReadyBoost on Wikipedia)

[ChrisGreaves]

(See ReadyBoost on Wikipedia)

If I read this right, one can make use of spare space on a USB drive to enhance performance on smaller machines.
I understood the bit about preserving laptop battery life by off-loading storage needs to non-mechanical devices.

[Argus]

I think that for ReadyBoost, I've not used it myself, there are two requirements: performance and capacity. But nowadays almost all new flash drives are above 1 GB. Speed is important; also, it seems like some have had problems with different brands when using a 64-bit OS or even the old 32-bit.

Here is one short article from TechNet Magazine
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/maga ... 56869.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BTW, here is one list, database, among many I guess. People have reported compatibility/incompatibility with ReadyBoost using different brands, if ReadyBoost is important. If not, at least it tells you that the USB memory is a bit quicker than the average.
http://www.grantgibson.co.uk/misc/readyboost/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[StuartR]

I was impressed at the tiny size of this 2GB flash drive that I got as a giveaway at a conference last week...

TinyFlashDrive2.jpg

[John Gray]

I would avoid using Ready Boost like the plague!

I was interested in whether "Ready Boost Enabled" actually means anything; viz. is there any difference between a Ready-Boost Enabled UFD and one which doesn't have that description?

[John Gray]

I got one of these for buying something. It doesn't work properly in a USB socket!

[JoeP]

I'd think it is advertising puff. I'd also be leery if the vendor has already set aside some part of the drive for Readyboost as the maximum size that can be used is different between Vista & Win7. See Readyboost - Wikipedia for details.

Joe

[Argus]

I would avoid using Ready Boost like the plague!

I was interested in whether "Ready Boost Enabled" actually means anything; viz. is there any difference between a Ready-Boost Enabled UFD and one which doesn't have that description?

When it comes to USB flash drives most people seem to be concerned about the size, if it can hold the amount of data they want. That must be the number one question; is it a 1 GB, 2 GB etc. (or perhaps that should be 4, 8, 16, 32 GB etc. nowadays). But sometimes people compare similar models and brands and if the price is right, write and read speed might be interesting as well, or for some the most important question (and for a smaller group security is everything, for them advanced encryption might be the most important question).

For example, I've got an old 1GB with a read/write speed of 19/13 MB/s (I don't know how they measured that, compared to the 4 KB/512 KB random read/write at different speed with ReadyBoost), which was quite good at the time (and still is if you compare with 10/5 or 20/8 MB/s; but then of course there are, now, even faster 30/20 or even USB3...), but my old UFD wasn't given a ReadyBoost logo, also mentioned in their FAQ. However, I notice that some people say that it does work, at the site I mentioned earlier. Perhaps it was the seek time, what do I know, at the time all I wanted was a rather speedy UFD.

So, what can I say; you'll probably get a faster UFD if you pick a ReadyBoost enabled, compared to a randomly selected without. BUT there are probably many out there that can be as fast or perhaps even faster, and cheaper. To pick a rather unusual example, the DataTraveler Ultimate 3.0, one with USB3, doesn't seem to have a ReadyBoost logo, as far as I can see, still it's very speedy. But that one is quite odd, using a Y-cable with USB 1.1./2 etc., there are plenty of other speedy USB2 drives out there.

So, again, the answer to your question must be: if it has that description someone, somewhere, has guaranteed that it should work with Windows Vista/7 using the feature ReadyBoost, and if that is of no interest or use to you ... well, perhaps you can find fast UFDs with the sizes that you need.

[ChrisGreaves]

TinyFlashDrive2.jpg

I want one!

No, Stuart.
Not a copy of the JPG.

A drive!