OCZ Throttle 32GB eSATA Flash Drive Model OCZESATATHR32G

Pros: Fast fast fast. I use this as my 'take home' drive, and I put all my work on it as truecrypt volumes. I don't have a working hot-swappable e-sata port at either location ( ASUS! You are on my #*(& list ). But this drive reads and writes at the max bus speed over USB. I know this, because I can reduce the transfer rate by a few percent by using a cheaper USB cable ;~)

Takes about a minute to copy a 1.7GB file off of it and onto my PC drive, USB mode.

It is important to understand that my work computer's internal *disk to disk* transfer rate is slower than this drive. I can actually copy a file off of the Throttle and onto local disk D faster than I can copy the same file from C to D. Cheap Dell box. It isn't the drives, either, it's the internal Bus. And I am talking about straight USB mode for the Throttle - NOT e-sata.

Cons: Male E-SATA connector. Have you EVER seen a female to male USB cable? Me either. And I've looked. You have to buy a gender bender.

I can't think of any supportable reason to have a male connector on this device. Sell with a female plug and a short male-male cable.

The star I would have taken off for that is won back by the fact that this device is one of the few of its kind on the market. Good idea! Now go make it better :~)

Other Thoughts: @DRMALIKIA: Your problem is with your computer's support of E-SATA, not this drive. If I buy new wheels for my car, and they don't fit on the car, is it the fault of the wheel? Same deal here. Know what you are buying and why.

Pros: If you are reading this, it is because you are looking for a faster solution than what you've got. This is it. As others mention, even just as USB drive, it significantly outperforms any other stick I've ever had. The extra USB cable is also that perfect transition item while eSata gains ubiquity.

Cons: While you don't have to carry the cable, unless you are sure of the machines you will use this with, you likely will want to. eSata has not been successful like traditional USB sticks are but requires some expert tricks. Without working directly with Microsoft or providing some sort of utility accessible via USB, I doubt there is much OCZ can do about this. Most likely, if you have an eSata port on your Mobo, it is crammed amongst tons of other ports creating a tight fit. This drive is wider than the port so be prepared to giveup an adjacent port or carry another cable with you.

Other Thoughts: Did I mention it is fast? I can't emphasize that enough. 32 GB is too large to suffer with slow speeds. USB drives have reached their practical limits for most people with a need for this capacity. eSATA is the future (for the next couple years anyway.

Pros: It looks cool.

Cons: I just received a 32 Gig Throttle today. My HP Elite 8730w workstation (XP Pro x64) is not "Plug & Play" with the eSata connection (none powered eSATA port). (Drive was formatted for NTFS)

If the eSATA & USB is plugged in prior to boot up, the drive will be recognized in windows.
If I plug the eSATA in first then USB when OS is fully booted, the "red & Blue" lights are lite but no drive is visible under any drive specific listing.
Under "Device Manager" if I right click IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers (Specificaly Chipset ICH9M-E 2 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 1 - 2928 or " " " " " " Controller 2 - 292D and select "Scan for Hardware Changes" the drive is recognized.

I tried selecting an AHCI setting from my BIOS but it would not let my IDE internal HDD boot up once selected. I find it odd that there is no patch, driver, or other utility that can be installed to make this device truly "Plug & Play" as advertised for eSATA. I am half tempted to send this thing back RMA.

Other Thoughts: You should look @ their forums, threads and threads about this issue with no real answer just patch jobs and work a rounds that do not fully address the problem. I should not have to "scan for hardware changes" every time I plug the device into my eSATA. USB works fine, but again I did not buy this memory stick because it is USB now did I? lol

OCZ since you keep tabs on this thread from your earlier posts, what is the deal? And please do not point me to the support thread or community forums, they are just as perplexed based on the posts I have seen thus far.

Pros: this drive is awesome. i use it to boot my Mandriva
Linux and its very fast. they need to make a 64
gig version and have it with built in raid. :)

Cons: none

Other Thoughts: if they do manage to let us raid them then they
need to pay me royalties, after all it was MY
IDEA.

Pros: Some may think this an inconvenience, but I believe using this drive with your USB port is a great thing. The fact that there is a USB cord connecting to the drive lets you use it in difficult clearance areas (compared to a long USB stick), and also makes sure it's not forgotten as easily as a USB flash drive stick.

This drive is very quick, in my opinion. A big plus.

I am looking forward to using this with an ESATA interface, which many new computers already have.

Cons: Akward shape and size may make it difficult to use without an ESATA extension cable.

Other Thoughts: I'm very happy with this drive. I use it for business and have it partitioned so I can use it for personal use also.

Pros: Great Item

Cons: Wish it would hold a 4.5GB ISO file or plug eSATA in without a USB cable otherwise it's great

Manufacturer Response:

Hello, if you have a PC, reformatting your drive in NTFS will allow you to write larger files. FAT32 (how the drive comes formatted to be able to work on a MAC as well) has a size limit of 4gb. If you need help with reformatting, please visit the link below for a guide.
Thank you

External Link(s):

NTFS.com Guide|

Pros: Drive is fast and does have a large capacity. Works with both USB and eSata

Cons: Drive functioned for 3 months then died. When plugged in via the USB connection it shows the files system. However, none of the files are accessible. When plugged in via eSata it just errors out. I have requested an RMA, waiting to hear form OCZ.

The drive does not have a key chain loop.

It is bigger than most other flash drives.

You have to use a short USB to mini USB cable on all computers that do not have eSata. Kind of a pain caring a short USB cable and the pen drive in your pocket; especially with the drive already being a bit larger.

Other Thoughts: I have used the SanDisk cruisers for several years without any problems, so I am knowledgeable with the flash drive does and don’ts. I hope this is just a faulty drive, OCZ will send me a replacement, and it will function without problems!

Manufacturer Response:

Hello, we are sorry for the problem. There can be a few reasons for this type of issue. Your replacement unit should work out just fine for you.
Thank you

Pros: VERY fast read speeds via eSATA. Installed Win 7 beta here and it loaded super fast. I think the way to power it for non-powered USB is ingenious, I don't think the Kanguru has that.

Cons: The drive is too bulky, and there aren't any extenders available, like there are so many for USB. I could not connect my drive and my HDMI monitor at the same time on my laptop. Kanguru ships theirs with an extender, and while it's more expensive, it does come with an actual powered eSATA bracket for your desktop.

Other Thoughts: Since the manufacturer seems to be monitoring reviews, at least I would say, PLEASE include at least an extender for eSATA.

Also, as in the title, the product died on me just about 3 weeks of very light usage. I'll just put that in as a fluke I guess, but the product came packaged in a padded evelope instead of a box from Newegg, and the little item box itself was all beat up. It could have been that.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello, we do monitor these reviews and we thank you for your suggestion. We aplogize for the problem. A replacement should work fine for you. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your suggestions, please visit our support forums at the link below.
Thank you

External Link(s):

OCZ Support Forums|

Pros: Very Fast. Very. It averages 20 Write, 30 Read on USB and between 80 and 90 read on esata (write is around 30).
32 GB is more than a single layer blu-ray disc, but this is rewriteable and a lot more transportable.

Zero problems so far for me.

Cons: None.

Other Thoughts: Make sure your MB supports AHCI before thinking your drive isn't working right. Not all SATA interfaces are hotswappable.

Pros: Very fast compared to most usb flash drives. Powered from eSATA Port if your computer supports it (My Latitude E series does) and via USB if it doesn't (plug in the eSATA first, then usb cable). It Compares fairly well with MLC based SSD drives in performance and the sustained transfer is still faster than a traditional HDD in synthetic benchmarks. It feels pretty quick to use. Can use it USB only if a computer does not have eSATA.

Cons: None so far.

Other Thoughts: Most older computers are not going to support eSATA powered mode as it is a relatively new addition to the spec. It would be nice if it had a standard usb port on the other end and the mini-usb on the side as that would allow you to use it in most situations without needing to carry a Mini-USB cable (included) but that is just being picky on my part.