IronKey Releases Windows 8 Certified Bootable Flash Drive 66
Lucas123 writes "IronKey has released a thumb drive certified to be used as a bootable Windows 8 device, enabling users to use Windows To Go — an enterprise feature of Windows 8 — to deliver a fully portable desktop. While Imation doesn't promote this feature, users can also boot up this USB on any Intel-based Apple computer. The flash drive has its drawbacks. It's not yet FIPS certified, it can't be provisioned as storage, and it lacks admin management features. The IronKey Workspace drive comes in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. It offers either 128-bit or 256-bit full disk encryption. Users must purchase the Windows 8 software separately. According to Imation's specifications, the IronKey Workspace has a maximum average read speed of 300MB/sec. and an average write speed of 100MB/sec. to 200MB/sec. When I timed the boot-up times, the initial boot-up from the USB drive was slow — 3 minutes and 40 seconds — but the drive was configuring itself. Subsequent boot-ups took a mere 35 seconds. Shutdown is near instantaneous — about 2 seconds. The flash drive is priced from $129 to $389 depending on capacity."
Slashvertisementitis (Score:5, Informative)
I know it's pretty cliche to scream slashvertisement whenever there's an article involving a purchasable gadget, but jebus tapdancing christ guys when you advertise the price including a link to their store for something like this it really is getting sad.
If it ISN'T intentional you sure are letting submissions take you for a ride.
Booting USB on any Apple intel systems? (Score:2, Informative)
I wonder how they achieve that, since for many configuartions the Apple UFI flat out refuses to boot anything other than OSX on an external device - I had this issue evenly when trying to install Windows as my primary OS on my 2010 MBP, using both an internal HD and SSD, so the DVD drive was external and the MBP refused to boot anything other than the OSX install meda from the DVD drive or a USB stick.
I ended up with a 10GB OSX partition on the SSD which never gets booted into these days - there was no way to just install Windows :/
External booting is enabled on some platforms, but its a far cry from "any" intel Apple.
Re:drawbacks for $129-$389? (Score:5, Informative)
It's an Ironkey. The encryption is in hardware. The quoted speed is with the encryption.