OCZ Technology sent over their 4GB ATV memory stick to test out and abuse. Since this memory stick is ruggedized and water-proof, I'll try to put it through some stress tests. Unlike last time, I won't get the chance to have the kids put it in the fish tank as we no longer have fish. However, I do have about 8" of snow outside I can use to see how it handles a night in cold weather.

• High Speed USB 2.0 Certified
• True Plug and Play (Compatible with MAC OS X)
• Dual Channel Technology
• Available in 2GB, 4GB,and 8GB capacities
• Waterproof Rubber Housing
• Orange LED Status Light
• Lifetime Warranty

Simple formed packaging with a few of the features listed on the front.

The back side gives a bit of information about the drive and OCZ.

The 4GB of space is ideal for folks like me who keep a lot of patches and utilities on a portable drive for work. I have found that filling it up can be quite easy. It currently contains the Centos 5.1 ISO, VMware images for Ubuntu, freeNAS, and Windows XP along with a few patches.

The below picture shows it compared with a similar sized Lexar flash drive.

The rubber cap slides off easily and fits on the chain cover holder. This lets you keep everything together when it is plugged into a workstation or server. I almost lost the cap when I didn’t attach it.

Last year I looked at another water proof USB stick and I do feel the older one could handle the deeper waters. Given that the OCZ is smaller in thickness, it makes it easier to handle during usage.

In the Sandra Speedtest it received an endurance factor of 76 and combined index of 7764 on Windows XP.

One thing I did noticed since I have been using this thumb drive a lot these past few weeks is that it picks up pocket lint very easily. It's also a good thing that it is easy to clean off.

I did use the snow to test for leaks and see if the internals would get wet, or at least the plug. So I stuck the tip in the snow and waited a few hours. I also let it sit overnight in a glass of water.

The OCZ ATV flash drive has the storage space to keep all your files in one place and protect it from the environment. It also cleans off easily with water after it has lived a few days in your pocket collecting lint. The ATV comes with its own cover holder that is attached to the chain so you don't lose the cap. If you have Windows Vista, the ATV can be used as memory for Readyboost.

Thanks to OCZ Technology for sending us this sample to test out!