Package Content

The package itself as we have seen already is quite small but as it goes by Patriot it includes all that you need to get started right away. Of course the main part of the package is the flash drive itself which is also taking up the main view. In fact the plastic wrap is made as such that USB memory stick is visible at the front while all the extra content is nicely hidden away but that doesn't mean it isn't important. Well the most important is of course the flash drive itself, though the extra components included can for some also be valuable. But not for all as some just need the stick and that is it, just as we for that matter. That is also why we will just take a closer look first to the USB drive itself, and find out what makes it better than the competition.

The Xporter Magnum has a very stylish and sturdy metallic design. The drive has a bright red color, with black accents and a grey cap. It weighs about 20 grams and has about the same length as other high performance flash drives. It's a bit wider than most flash drives, but that's hardly a design flaw. In fact the flash drive is almost two pen drives in one, but you do get as such a huge size of 64GB and it is very solid. It doesn't use a capless design, but the cap is very solid and clicks onto the drive very well and in a secure manor. The touch and feel is great to say the least, with the soft metallic shell which feels cool but also smooth. Who wouldn't want such a memory stick to show off the size, and at the same time have several eyes checking out the design.

The back of the Xporter Magnum 64GB looks very similar, it features Patriot's logo. One feature of this drive can't be seen on the pictures, the drive has a red activity LED but it's somewhat hidden behind the semi-translucent black plastic at the edge of the drive. The USB stick is rather thin but feels very sturdy. The cap can be attached to the lanyard hook by the way, so you won't be able to lose it. We did read some reports on the internet from people who complain the cap falls off easily, but our unit didn't have this problem. And as such we doubt a bit about the usage of those who did complain about this, might be just a personal way of use and abuse. By all means, if you want to abuse a memory stick you better pick one that can handle it and certainly the Xporter Magnum falls under those series, being packed with a lifetime warranty.

Patriot packs a USB extension cable as well as lanyard into the package. This is an excellent way of how you should package an USB flash drive with all the extras that you can think of that can give an added value. There is no driver CD included, but you're only going to need that if you are using Windows 98. If you are, it's probably time you thought about upgrading? That is at least what we would be thinking, because we would think that by now you are all enjoying at least Windows XP or even a newer version. Just like us who have been in past year as well been upgrading to Windows Vista, though we are not sold to that idea really but time is certainly running against us and Vista is the way to go. Top marks on design and styling Patriot, but let's see how she performs now.

Windows ReadyBoost

Windows Vista introduces Windows ReadyBoost, a quite new concept in adding memory to a system. You can use non volatile flash memory, such as that on an USB flash drive, to improve performance without having to add additional memory under the hood. The flash memory device serves as an additional memory cache, which is memory that the computer can access much more quickly than it can access data on your hard drive. Windows ReadyBoost relies on the intelligent memory management of Windows SuperFetch and can significantly improve the system responsiveness. Now to take advantage of the ReadyBoost feature built into Windows Vista, the computer first and foremost has to have USB 2.0 slots.

Along to that ReadyBoost requires a certain level of performance from the USB memory stick, so while there are many high speed USB drives on the market, compatible USB drives must be able to meet certain minimum data write and/or read levels. Microsoft requires the USB key to reach a 3.50MB/s of throughput for 4K random reads and also 2.50MB/s throughput for 512K random writes. Now those given requirements may not sound particularly intensive, but consistency throughout the entire drive is crucial to ReadyBoost operating correctly. You'd be surprised how many high speed USB drives fail this test. Luckily for us, Patriot has embraced ReadyBoost with their 64GB strong Xporter Magnum series.

In fact Windows ReadyBoost is really easy to use. So when the flash drive, or a secure digital memory card, is inserted into your computer's port, Windows Vista automatically begins checking to see if your computer is functioning fast enough to operate using ReadyBoost. Once Vista determines that your system is okay, Vista will ask if you would like to use the device to speed up your system. Once you are at that step it is really a matter of just configuring how many space you want to allocate to the ReadyBoost function and you are set to go.