We’ve got an interesting trio of memory products from Lexar lined up today.
Two USB sticks with a difference and one high speed SD card. All of them sporting 1GB.
By far the more innovative product of these three is the Lexar JumpDrive Mercury which has an on-board capacity meter that displays the amount of drive storage space and retains its display after being unplugged from the computer.

We haven’t given Lexar much coverage lately but there’s no doubt they are a significant supplier of our memory needs.
So let’s look at some of their latest products in more detail, keeping in mind there’s only so much you can say about a simple device as a memory stick – even if it has some bells and whistles…

Lexar JumpDrive Mercury 1GB
The E-ink capacity meter on the Mercury makes it eminently handy though and should be standard on all USB drives, we reckon! How often do you need to check how much is “left” on the device to ensure what you want to transfer will indeed fit?
The Mercury JumpDrive will tell you at a glance. And keeps telling you the status long after having unplugged the unit from the computer.
In addition, it comes with Secure II software to encrypt and/or shred files.
Lose the USB stick but no worries about also having “lost” the data and compromised your identity or company data.
Secure II creates encrypted vaults and permanently deletes (“shreds”) files if you want them gone. This works well on any Windows machine but Macs are a different story (as was the case with the SanDisk Titanium U3 drive we reviewed recently).

Talking about U3 (the ability to take your applications with you on the USB drive), the Mercury comes with PowerToGo software, which is fairly similar.  If it didn’t come with it, you can download it for free on the Lexar site.
PowerToGo allows you to take your favourite applications with you and use any other computer at work or in school without leaving a trace on the host computer.
The list of applications that work include Firefox, Thunderbird, WinAmp, Skype, and many others. Some are free and for some you pay a fee. The installed applications are accessed through the PowerToGo dashboard.
If there is a program not on the list, you can add InstallAnything for USD24.95.
InstallAnything is a PowerToGo platform add-on that enables you to install many standard Windows applications that are not on the pre-approved list and make them portable. Note: not all programs can be successfully installed with InstallAnything.
So, the name is a bit of a misnomer…
The InstallAnything Installation Wizard was created to make installing non-approved applications easier.
Lastly, let’s look at the design of the Mercury JumpDrive.
It’s an elegant and practical shape with that curve in the middle.
Practical, because it doesn’t slip out of your hand so easily as some drives do.
And the black stripes at the sides make it look even slimmer than it is.
The cap is easy to remove (and lose!) That’s why the cap has a hole for the lanyard, rather than the device itself??

Conclusion
The Mercury JumpDrive has some nice qualities about it but a speed demon it is not.
For most people, the extra few seconds waiting for file transfers to complete is not a drama, particularly when some folks happily use their low-speed USB ports as well!
But it tests out fairly slow in the write department.
The permanent capacity readout is its best feature. The RRP price is $69 Aussie dollars.  Street pricing is much lower.


Lexar JumpDrive Lightning 1GB
We can be a bit shorter on the Lightning as we already covered much common ground above. As the name implies, the Lightning is a speed freak. It is the fastest USB drive in our extensive arsenal, hitting 22MB/s reading and 15MB/s writing. The Lightning protects data via 256-bit AES encrypting and has both the Secure II and PowerToGo software on board. Our review unit was only 1GB and once you discover how good this product is you wish they’d send you at least a 2Gig version!
However, the Lightning’s chrome-sprayed body – shiny and slippery as it is – makes for some difficult moments when you try to take the cap off. The only way it works is when you grab the black strip on the sides. Give me the not so shiny Mercury any day when it comes to form factor!
We ran some tests on the Lightning, confirming the moniker was chosen rightly but this only held true for large files. Smaller files transferred much slower and if you have many smaller files (around the 32KB mark) the slowing down is noticeable. But it’s great for pumping media files across.

Conclusion
Good value for money even at AUD79 if you have the need for speed. Some people undoubtedly love that shiny exterior which lends itself eminently to engraving, but it doesn’t make me a fanboy. With good security features and U3-like functionality with the PowerToGo software, Lexar is a strong player in this oversaturated market.

Lexar Platinum II SD card 1GB
Finally the one SD card that will have photographers sit up and take notice: the Platinum II SD.
Generally, with a name like Platinum you may expect superior performance and this SD card does not disappoint.

It is speed-rated at 60X and capable of a minimum sustained write speed of 9MB per second. I tested it out on my Lumix DMC FZ20 and it made a difference with the generic 4GB card I had been using. I just wonder how much you’ll notice the improved read/write times in general photography though. Generally, cards are fast enough for most people and capacity is more of a buying decision. Not so for professional photographers who must have the fastest media available.
To sweeten the deal for the general public, the RRP price for the 1GB Platinum II SD card at $69 includes Corel Photo Album 6 Standard, plus templates.  This allows you to easily organise, edit and share your photos. All for just AUD69 (or check around for even better deals online).