USB Flash memory sticks are two-a-penny these days, but the OnlyDisk U220 from Netac is notable for a couple of reasons. The company sent me one to try out. 

Firstly, the device is quite small; scarcely wider or deeper than the USB connector that plugs into the PC, and about an inch and a half long. It is also encased in metal, which makes the device feel sturdier than many other products.

The Netac drive also features security protection for files. It is partitioned into two volumes, one of which is password protected and encrypted. The only file visible in this volume is the PASSWORD.EXE program, which must be run to unlock access to its content. As delivered, the password is blank, allowing the user to define one. The password protection also works without requiring administrator privileges, unlike some comparable products I have seen. 

As well as defining a password, the OnlyDisk U220 lets you set how many incorrect password attempts are allowed before the secure volume becomes locked. Netac warns that only its engineers can unlock the device if this should happen, and that this will lead to loss of the device's contents.

While I had no problems with the password system, the drive does seem to have one oddity. Windows users are supposed to close down USB devices  - using the 'Safely Remove Hardware' tool in the System Tray - before unplugging them. However, the OnlyDisk U220 almost always throws up an error message saying it 'cannot be stopped because a program is still accessing it', requiring me to wait several minutes before trying again.

The Netac OnlyDisk U220 is available in 512MB, 1GB, and 2GB versions for £23.99, £29.99 and £49.99, respectively.

28 Jul 2006