Introduction

The AH522 USB 2.0 USB flash drive from Apacer is made from high quality materials, including zinc alloy and electro-polished components. AH522 drives offer up to 16 GB of storage and high read/write performances.

I want to thank the Apacer representatives for making the review of their Handy Steno AH522 Flash Drive possible.


About the Apacer Company

Apacer Technology Inc. is a global leader in memory module and digital storage hardware and software. Since the company's inception, Apacer's focus on recording, reproducing and retaining all types of digital data has been the driving force in providing customers with the best memory products and services.

Apacer understands the importance of data and how consumers use data. Through customer feedback and strong market research, Apacer's young, creative and dynamic team culture develops products that are innovative in design, engineered for high reliability using state-of-the-art technology, and that match consumer needs. The Apacer brand promises consumers they can "Access the best" memory modules and digital storage products and services.

Apacer gives customers access to a global memory module manufacturer and supply chain whose products have been independently tested as some of the best on the market in performance, reliability and value. Apacer offers the most innovative flash memory products utilized in today's music, video, phone, and gaming devices. With digital content becoming an ever greater part of everyday life, Apacer also provides the newest and most exciting digital mobile entertainment devices available.

Product Overview

The Apacer AH522 USB 2.0 flash drive is designed for business executives and users who value the best. The AH522 USB drive also provides ultra high-quality in both materials and design, including zinc alloy and electro-polished components, a retractable USB connector in a translucent casing, and a gem-like LED, which together convey a sense of luxury and restrained elegance. Beyond the chic look, AH522 offers up to 16 GB of storage, 200X high performance USB 2.0 interface.

The AH522 is sophisticated, yet practical, USB 2.0 flash drive that rises above the standard, uninspired designs of today's flash drive products. High-quality materials create a smooth, streamlined housing with an attractive color scheme. The metal frame protects the retractable USB connector while making the drive easy to carry on a strap. When the drive is in operation, the hidden LED emits a lustrous blue light. The Apacer AH522 USB drive represents the epitome of superior design, whether in terms of performance, materials selection, or practical usability, providing a new level of sophistication in this product category.

Features




Specifications

Packaging

The Handy Steno AH522 USB flash drive comes in a nice little cardboard box; on the frontal part we can see the product itself, through a transparent plastic window, the fact that Apacer offers us lifetime warranty for this product, some product highlights and the total capacity in the lower right corner:



On the back of the box we can see writing with very little font size that describes the product specifications, the contents inside the box in multiple languages and a notice that says “the actual available memory on the device is less than what is listed on the package. This is due to small discrepancies in the file format and algorithms used by various operating systems. In addition, a portion of the memory space is reserved for system files and data sectors for better performance.



If we look further, we can see that the product is further protected in a green cardboard box, with a plastic window on the frontal part:



The product does feature a golden metallic frame and button, with a white Apacer logo on it; the right part of the product is made in such a way, so we can attach a strap:



On the back of the drive, we can find the black translucent casing; on the outside, it is very shiny, which gives the product a very good look:



Like the last Apacer drive I have tested, this one is based too on a slide mechanism, to reveal the USB connector, which does not imply the use of a protective cap:



Here is a view of the product, with the USB connector ejected, ready to be connected to the computer:

The Tests

The testbench is composed from the ASUS X55SV laptop, the one that I have used for all the Flash Drive tests I have done before and the operating system was Windows 7 x64.

When the drive is inserted in a spare USB port, after the initial generic driver installation, we can see the blue LED flashing inside the plastic casing:



The drive comes completely empty, formatted FAT32:



To determine the flash drive read speeds, I have used the HD Tune 2.55 utility, which is freeware:



Summary Graph (Read Performance)



To measure the real life performance, I have used the Total Commander application to copy to the flash drive and from the flash drive the same file and recorded the transfer speeds, when they have stabilized.

File Copy



File Read



Summary Graph(Real-life performance)

Conclusive thoughts

The second flash drive I have tested from Apacer, AH522 has very good read/write performances and it gets beaten only by the Apogee AstroDrive and the 64GB Patriot Xporter Magnum.

The golden frame gives the drive a very nice look, but the shiny translucent plastic casing attracts a lot of fingerprints. The retractable USB connector design eliminates the need of an extra protective cap, but the mechanism may wear off after some time.



I would like to thank again to Apacer for making this review possible!