Introduction

I would like to thank Verbatim and Verbatim EUMEA for supplying the review sample.

The company sells all kinds of storage devices, from write once media like CD-R, DVD-R/+R and Blu-ray along with rewritable variants and USB 2.0 storage devices. Besides those you will also find products with USB 3.0, eSATA and Firewire connectivity.

A quote from the Verbatim USA website:

Since its beginning in 1969, Verbatim® has been at the forefront of the evolution in data storage technology. Today, more than 30 years later, Verbatim remains one of the most recognizable names in the data storage industry.

Customer-driven, Verbatim is known for adding considerable product value--above and beyond its competitors--to established media technology. As an industry pioneer, Verbatim is recognized for the role it plays in early product development and commercial product introduction of new technologies. Verbatim's leadership role is especially apparent in the evolution of optical media recording including MO and the CD/DVD family of products.

Along with its technological innovations, Verbatim has always been recognized universally for its superior manufacturing practices. Verbatim was the first media company to receive ISO certification, the de facto standard for quality management systems worldwide. This commitment to quality translates into consistent product performance and reliability. In addition, Verbatim provides toll-free technical support and service to enable its customers to maximize the performance of its products.

As a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, a recognized world leader in the chemical and computer industries, Verbatim is ideally positioned to take advantage of changes in the market while continuing to challenge the frontiers of data storage.

We will be taking a look at the Store'n'Go Clip-it USB drive. This is a miniscule USB 2.0 flash drive, with a paper clip like shape It comes in 2 or 4 GB variants. While it would be possible to go with higher density variants, Verbatim has decided against it, as the Clip-it series is intended to be used as a "one way" product. It received the Red Dot Design award in 2010 and is available in a multitude of colors. Only the 4 GB version is limited to black or white.

Verbatim offers the possibility to have your Clip-it labeled, in turn also offering colored versions of the 4 GB model. The minimum order quantity for such a custom Store'n'Go Clip-it is 100 pieces, which is not unreasonable.

Features

• Flash storage in an award-winning clip design,
• Password Protection Software Trial available for download,
• Free Technical Hotline Support,
• Verbatim 2 Year Limited Warranty

Packaging

Verbatim ships all of their USB flash drives in a simple but colorful cardboard sandwich. It consists of two cardboard pieces which have been glued together, along with a plastic mold to hold the storage device itself. Since Verbatim has a very strong presence in the retail market, this packaging is ideal for store shelves. On the back you will find some basic marketing texts.


Even though we only need to benchmark one stick, Verbatim sent us a selection of colors here - so no matter what, you should find one you like.

A Closer Look

Taking a closer look at the stick, it is fairly small. Sure there are smaller units out there, but the Store'n'Go Clip-it need to be big and sturdy enough to act like a paper clip. While it would have been great to see a metal body, the plastic one does just fine and is flexible enough, while keeping a firm grip on things.


The Verbatim logo has been printed on the front of the device, along with a little white stripe telling you not to simply toss it into the garbage, but recycle it appropriately. You will also find a small mention of the Clip-it capacity on here. Turning things around, the rear is completely free of any printings. This is where your company logo or custom text will be printed on, if you choose to buy at least 100 pieces of it. Verbatim is obviously trying hard to offer various flash drives with specific, useful functions instead of pumping out the same product over and over again.


Due to the compact size, there is no metal enclosure around the connector. Luckily, the stick is thick enough, so that the four connectors actually make solid contact when plugged in. You will also find some serial or part number edged into the device.


I have used the stick on a TPU business card, to show its functionality. As you can see, it works well. While it should easily hold around five to six normal pages, I would really avoid using more than say ten pages with the Clip-it - it is plastic after all.