scattered technology news

Sony - Micro Vault Tiny - July 13, 2006

On July 11, 2006, Sony Electronics announced an extremely small thumb drive called the Micro Vault Tiny. The Micro Vault Tiny, which is only a half-inch wide and an inch long, will be offered in capacities of up to 4GB. The drives are “color-coded” by capacity: 256MB (orange), 512MB (violet), 1GB (blue), 2GB (green) and 4GB (purple). Sony has also pre-installed compression software called Virtual Expander, which “expands” the capacity of the drive by compressing and decompressing files. The Micro Vault Tiny is now shipping in sizes 256MB to 2GB; however the 4GB model will not be available until later this year.

No specific price for any model has been set yet, but suggested retail is between $29.99 and $199.99 depending on capacity. Although these drives look fashionable, are extremely small, and are a brand-name product, they are way too over priced for the practical consumer. For example a no-name bulky 2GB USB 2.0 thumb drive, which may actually be more durable, will probably cost less than half of what Sony is charging.

Links: Sony Press Release
Related: Sony E Series Walkman