Corsair Flash Voyager GT (16GB)

This USB 2.0 Flash drive with rubber casing is one of the latest from Corsair, alongside a non-GT version.

The 'GT' means that it is concerned with speed over capacity, hence 16GB is the maximum capacity compared with 32GB for the non-GT version.

The rubber casing ensures that it will survive the majority of potential everyday accidents, being water-resistant and shock-proof.

Included with the drive are a lanyard, a USB extension cable and the TrueCrypt encryption software.

Oddly, TrueCrypt is only provided for Windows, even though the software is available for Mac OS X and Linux. OK, the software is open source and available for free anyway, but it wouldn't have hurt to include all the versions.

The drive itself is comfortable to hold and, due to the rubber casing, larger than most. However, it still manages to squeeze into the middle of a tightly packed row of USB ports.

On the end of the drive is a blue Led that flickers to indicate read or write activity, which is handy and so often forgotten on USB Flash drives.

The large capacity and durability of the Flash Voyager GT make it an attractive option, and a viable alternative to an external hard drive.

It had no problem competing with our other USB 2.0 drives in terms of speed. Although we did no real scientific tests, we noticed the speed difference on first use, and it nearly always finished first when reading or writing.

The only real let down to the Voyager GT is its little rubber cap. It isn't attached to the main body so is easy to misplace, and should you lose it completely its shock-proof and water-resistant properties may be hampered.