Sandisk Cruzer Speed Test: 16gb vs 8gb

Black Friday 2008 brought a great deal on the Sandisk 16gb Cruzer drive. I wondered how it would perform next to the older 8gb model I had. The 16gb does not say it is ready boost compatible, you can see why. Here are the results:

In Windows Vista:
16gb
write speed: 5.3 mb/s
read speed: 23 mb/s

8gb
write speed: 7.4 mb/s
read speed: 27 mb/s

So, the read speed is relatively close (the 8gb is still faster). The write speed is about 40% slower on the newer 16 gig memory stick. That's a step backwards.

Here are some results inside XP Pro:
Using a 454 megabyte directory of files:

16gb wrote it in 1:41. Read it in 21 seconds.
8gb wrote it in 1:12. Read it in 20 seconds.

Summary: Great increase in space, it's slower than the older model...especially the write speed.

Want to read a really intense comparison between 20+ flash drives 12/2008? Click here.

Best pocket cameras Q4 2008

DP Review is where I like to go for camera reviews and active forums. I shoot with a 40d and a couple nice lenses most times. For out on the town with a tiny camera needs, two cameras came out on top of their latest review:

The Sony W120 ($130) and the Panasonic LZ8 ($110). You can read their conclusion here and click through to the whole detailed article too.

DP Review review link.

Update: In 2011, the best pocked camera for under $400 is the Canon S95. I have it and it is fantastic. A huge improvement over cameras from a few years ago.