Microsoft, SanDisk take smart USB drives back to school

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Microsoft and SanDisk are hitting the re-set button on the move to smart USB flash drives. The duo announced Friday (May 11) they will roll out next year new hardware and software to create drives that can securely carry and launch both data and applications, giving users a portable version of their desktop they can take plug in to any computer.

The move aims to replace as many as five different approaches now in use, including an effort called U3 launched in early 2005 and based on proprietary software from SanDisk running on its embedded flash controllers. In early 2006 flash drives maker Lexar Media Inc. debuted a competing approach using code from Israeli software developer Ceedo Technologies Ltd.

Although tens of millions of USB flash drives ship every year, few of them to date are so-called smart drives that can launch applications software. In part that's because consumers do not yet understand the value of such products or are not willing to pay a premium for them.

Microsoft and SanDisk are forming a new group to license their hardware and software technology that is behind the new effort with the two companies sharing revenues from the deals. SanDisk said it will launch in the second half of 2008 new versions of its flash cards and Cruzer USB drives using the new hardware and software, including a so-called TrustedFlash security technology, it is developing with Microsoft.

SanDisk claimed as many as 20,000 software developers are working with its existing U3 approach. The flash maker said it will continue to support the U3 organization and product until the new offering is released to the public next year. Both companies said developers will be offered a migration path to modify existing U3 applications to run on the new offering, with Microsoft opening discussions immediately about licensing its software. The new offering will let users carry on a flash card or USB drive data, apps and an environment with their personal preferences. The cards and drives will work on any Windows XP or Vista system

"We are excited to work with SanDisk on this next-generation experience, which will allow hardware manufacturers to better differentiate their products and provide an even richer software and services experience for customers," said Will Poole, corporate vice president of the market expansion group at Microsoft in a prepared statement.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2006, Lexar showed its USB Flash drives running a handful of programs using software from startup Ceedo Technologies. Lexar claimed the software would become an industry standard available in products later that year.

The USB Flash Drive Alliance, a consortium of USB flash drive makers led by Lexar, said last September it would endorse "a new generation" of USB smart drives that let users run programs. However, it provided no details at that time. Microsoft is a member of the USB Flash Drive Alliance.

The Alliance now says it will not endorse any specific approach to creating smart USB flash drives, but promote the overall market for them instead. Steffen Hellmold, chairman of the Alliance and a senior executive at Lexar said he is aware of as many as five different software approaches to enabling smart USB drives. Some like Ceedo work with any application while others like the U3 approach require modifying Windows apps, something Microsoft disdains.

"We welcome the Microsoft and SanDisk announcement as something that could further expand the market for smart drives," said Hellmold.

The two companies did not inform the Alliance of their plans before their announcement today.

Hellmold said at least two organizations may be working on formal standards for smart USB drives. They include the mass storage devices working group in the USB Implementers Forum and the IEEE P1667 group developing a standard for password and certificate security technologies for use with USB drives and other devices. The IEEE group was launched in early 2005 and is chaired by a SanDisk engineer.

3 posted on 5/12/2007, 10:40:47 AM by Woodman ("One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives." PW)

Or try this program if you want to run nearly any Windows app (not just open source). I'm running it on a 60 gig Maxtor mini-HD with great success.

Never leave your viruses behind, again!

IT departments are not going to like this...

BTW, is that a desktop in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me...

5 posted on 5/12/2007, 11:25:21 AM by gridlock (On January 20, 2009, Fred Dalton Thompson will be sworn in as President of the United States.)

Hey! That’s a great suite of apps. I downloaded it and installed to my Cruizer. But now I’ll have to get a larger capacity disc to keep all my stuff. I don’t want to take up space on my ipod; that’s for tunes.

Thanks for the info!

DSL (Damned small LINUX) ping.

Sheesh...talk about old news.

http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/download.html

7 posted on 5/12/2007, 1:11:14 PM by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)

Yawn. Go look at this. I've been carrying a "desktop" in my pocket for two years. Great drive.

Yup.Once again Microsoft pulls up the rear in technology, all the while calling it "innovation".

Wonder how long it will take microsoft to "innovate" a live cd/DVD?

I just want a USB drive to hold stuff, not feature tons of programs that I might not even use.

And USB flash drives are excellent for that.

Personally, I keep a copy of portable Thunderbird on the portable hard drive. That way I can check email anytime I'm near a Win 'puter connected to the 'net.

Also keep a copy of portable Firefox on the drive. That way I always have my bookmarks with me.

11 posted on 5/12/2007, 7:40:20 PM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

12 posted on 5/12/2007, 7:42:22 PM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

I’m using a Sandisk U3 drive and am very happy with it. I wonder if I will be able to upgrade?

Seeing as how this is Microsoft, probably not.

13 posted on 5/12/2007, 7:43:49 PM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

But now I’ll have to get a larger capacity disc to keep all my stuff.

I highly recommend the Seagate pocket drives. I've had a 5GB for almost two years. It's been through hell and still works fine. The retractable cord is a great feature.

14 posted on 5/12/2007, 7:46:33 PM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

Sheesh...talk about old news.

Yep.

IMHO, Microsoft is one of the least innovative companies around.

They must have a whole department dedicated to making the transition from XP to Vista as hard as possible.

15 posted on 5/12/2007, 7:51:54 PM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

not feature tons of programs that I might not even use.

FWIW, each of the programs in the portable apps suite can be downloaded by itself. There is no cross contamination.

16 posted on 5/12/2007, 7:54:38 PM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

I’m on a tight budget (retired) and am not sure I can budget a high-capacity drive. I’m thinking more in terms of 2gb. For what I do that should be more than enough capacity.

Right now, I put the application on my 512mb drive. It runs fine, and I added a couple extra apps to boot. But I only have around 100mb free. That’s not much to store stuff.

We’ll see, but I really appreciate the information. It’s a great idea. Thanks a lot!

Very true. On the anandtech forum, there wasa huge thread where Microsoft was offering a (no joke) 128 mb USB flash drive about a year ago. The terms was you had to have a company, and fill out a survey and the drive wasn’t rewriteable as it had microsoft promotional crapola on it. The folks discovered a way to short circuit the drive with a paper clip to unlock it and enable it to record. Bad part is Microsoft basically was trolling for user info and never mailed out the USB drives even at that unusable size nowadays.

IMHO, it is imossible to have respect for Microsoft.

They are the largest software company in the world but, IMHO, it is badly mismanaged.

19 posted on 5/17/2007, 3:16:03 AM by upchuck (Who will support Fred Thompson? Anyone who enjoys a dose of common sense not wrapped in doublespeak.)

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