SanDisk launches dongle-like Extreme Fit USB-C flash drive with up to 1 TB

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Physical design & durability

  • Many dislike the “plug and stay” idea: risk of snagging, drops, or impacts that can tear out or damage USB ports, especially on laptops in bags.
  • Concern that the stubby pill shape blocks adjacent ports (HDMI, stacked USB) and is hard to grip, making it easy to drop or stress the connector.
  • Some see it as more visual gimmick than practical: too small to handle confidently, yet still protruding enough to catch on things.
  • Suggestions appear for flexible “rubbery” necks or Yubikey‑style/Kingston‑style metal keyring form factors for better durability and everyday carry.

Heat, performance & reliability

  • Multiple commenters report tiny “stick” drives of any brand overheating under sustained writes, then throttling or disconnecting.
  • Doubts that such a small plastic device can dissipate heat well, raising worries about NAND longevity and even weakening laptop USB connectors.
  • Some users have had SanDisk drives die quickly and found the RMA process tedious; others say their SanDisks have been reliable, stressing that fakes are common.
  • Limited warranty language and absence of clear MTBF specs make several people uneasy about using this for anything beyond temporary transfers.

Capacity & use cases

  • Opinions split on the value of 1 TB in this form: some see it as overkill and too risky without strong backup/versioning; others want it for portable media libraries, backups, or multi‑ISO rescue sticks.
  • 1 TB is still too small for some video or movie collections; others are impressed that capacity has reached this level in such a tiny device.

Alternatives & form factors

  • Many prefer:
    • External SSDs or NVMe-in-USB/Thunderbolt enclosures (faster, better thermals, more robust).
    • Flush SD/microSD adapters (e.g., BaseQi‑type) in laptops with card slots.
    • Larger “credit card” or cabled drives that don’t stress ports.
  • There is strong demand for a small, rugged USB‑C flash drive in a Yubikey‑like metal keychain form factor; people report not finding a perfect match yet.

OS, protocols & filesystems

  • USB power management on Windows and Linux autosuspend issues are discussed; Linux users share kernel boot flags to disable autosuspend.
  • Distinction made between classic USB mass storage vs. UAS “USB SSDs”: some 4K‑native controllers can’t boot certain OS images or need quirks on Linux.
  • Filesystem choices debated (ext4, NTFS, exFAT, F2FS, Btrfs) with concerns about cross‑platform use, corruption, and checksumming.

Pricing & marketing copy

  • Several call out the article’s “up to 1 TB… starting at $15.99” phrasing as misleading marketing; real 1 TB price is noted as much higher.