Flash memory capacities keep climbing, but the current largest mass marketed USB flash drive is the Kingston DataTraveler 300 which boasts a whopping 256GB. To translate that into everyday data storage terms, that means this Goliath flash drive is equivalent to any of the following:

1) 365 CDs (at approximately 700 MB each)

2) 54 DVDs (at approximately 4.7 GB each)

3) 10 Blu-ray (at approximately 25 GB each)

What’s the cost of the world’s heftiest flash drive?

There are just a few UK & European based sellers who currently offer the Kingston DT300. SMC Direct currently lists the 256 GB flash drive at UK £576.56 which translates at the moment to US $957.67 (and, yep, that even includes $23.25 for overseas shipping). Possibly, if you shop around or keep an eye on currency fluctuation, you might save a few bucks. Do note that, at the time of this writing, SMC Direct only had 2 in stock.

What do I have to gain by owning a 256GB USB drive?

Personally, I would love to have a 256 Gigabyte flash drive. Over the years, I’ve gradually migrated from the micro size 256 MB drive all the way up to 16 GB drives. That leaves me with a fair collection of in between drives just kind of floating around unused while my larger drives get all the wear and tear (we all know how insanely fast a 1 GB flash drive fills up). A 256 GB would probably last me, perhaps, all year but I’d hate to think of the risk of having my 23 month old come by and snatch it (and he loves “fash drives”). Even still, it’s a nice dream to have.

So what would you gain by sinking almost one thousand bucks into the world’s largest flash drive?

1) Definitely loads of memory – pack it full of video, high resolution photos and more; now you can finally consolidate your dresser drawer full of flash drives.

2) Kingston claims that 90% of the drive’s capacity can be password protected – definitely an asset, particularly when you can place virtually all your laptop’s memory on an easily lost flash drive.

3) Data transfer rates of up to 20MB/second read and 10MB/second write

What do I have to lose by buying the world’s biggest flash drive?

As I mentioned, when your preschooler comes curiously walking by and finds yet another piece of your attractive technology laying around, it might end up as an overpriced plastic stick to chew on (and that’s painful to my wallet to even think about – count that from recent experience).

Also, if you’re looking at having the CFgear team customize a few hundred of these in time to pass out to all your prized employees at the company Christmas party in a couple weeks, well … maybe you should consider custom printed 16 or 32 GB flash drives. Add the right luxurious packaging to some sleek executive styled drives packed with an insanely crazy company video by the CEO, and they’ll be laughing so hard that they’ll never know what they missed.