Average Reviews:
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I read the pre-release Engadget reviews of this device and pre-ordered the 32 GB Wi-Drive when available. It took 2 hours for a first-time complete battery charge via USB and mini-USB adapter. When I first connected to the computer, I saw that the drive was named KINGSTON, not WI-DRIVE, but it was easy to rename under either OS X or Windows 7. It took only 10 minutes to get things running. First, I loaded 10 full-movie video and 50 audio song files to test the device with 3 different iPads and turned the unit on by simply pushing the side button which has a green indicator light. Then go to your iPad/iPhone and download the free Apple Wi-Drive app, go to Network settings and select the WI-DRIVE network which is broadcast from the unit with blue indicator lights. There are no security settings by default so anyone nearby can connect to the drive. Open the Wi-Drive app and go to the setting button icon which you can set security WEP/WPA/WPA2 settings and complete your WiFi access point setup.
The app interface is just like using Dropbox or GoodReader and the menus are nicely designed. The audio and video files are listed on the left menu and simple to select. Now comes the great part, I used 3 different iPads to connect at the same time to the Wi-Drive and selected 3 different movies for each iPad and the movies ran perfectly without a single buffer hiccup. This problem plagues the Seagate GoFlex Satellite. I read comments by others who appear to be overly impressed by the 500GB storage which is functionally limited. The GoFlex menu is slow and does not permit sorting, drops connections and streaming video are choppy at times. The worst feature of the GoFlex is that it does not truly stream media, but rather sends a copy of the media file to your iDevice unlike the WiDrive which truly streams files allowing the user to maximize storage capacity. I just wanted a simple portable network device that will keep everyone in the car happy watching their own movies or listening to their own music. I was pleased to see that 3 different devices can access this portable WiFi network drive without any degradation of media streaming quality. Of course I wish we could have 64 GB or more storage, but 32 GB is fine for day trips and can still hold more than enough media files to satisfy everyone's preferences.
The next nice feature is the ability of the drive to connect to another WiFi network which you also configure in the setting button icon. For example, you're with the family at Starbucks and connect the Wi-Drive to the free Starbucks WiFi using the iOS app. The Wi-Drive reboots, connects to Starbucks network and now every one of your 3 other devices can access streaming media files on the Wi-Drive and also access the Internet using the Starbucks connection. Remember, you have to connect your device to the Wi-Drive network to use your files, but this network setting still allows you to retain internet access at the same time.
The drive is just a bit smaller than my iPhone 4 and very light. Unfortunately, the unit doesn't appear to work while plugged in to recharge. I was hoping that I could connect the device to a car outlet to continuously power the device on long trips since it is advertised to last only 4-5 hours on a single charge. Looks like you'll have to perform a complete recharge when it runs out which will take several hours using the provided adapter.
Summary - this is the best available portable media streaming network device for the iPad/iPhone which works well and simple to use with excellent streaming speeds. Definitely happy with my pre-order decision and suspect these units will sellout fast. Enjoy.
****** update 2 days later ******
I downgraded it to 4 stars after 2 days of use. File transfers are problem-free and easy to do remmebering that you can only use media files recognized by iOS (eg. mp4, m4v). Programs like Air Video Server are better for local networks allowing live conversion of all other media file types like avi and flv. So if you use other file types, you're stuck with having to use a conversion program which there are plenty available for free. Media streaming to multiple iOS devices works perfectly without any stutters. The main problem I see is the battery life which runs closer to 3 hours rather than 4 hours with constant streaming to more than one device. Contrary to other recent online reviews which makes me question whether some reviewers actually use their products, you CANNOT recharge this device with the miniUSB adapter while using the device. For example, if you have a long car trip, you will only have a little over 3 hours of use and then you'll have to recharge for a few hours using a USB car adpater or whatever else. The access point does not work while recharging. Some reviewers talk about using a plane adapter, but it still won't work while plugged in and I think it's a bad idea and just wrong to use this on a plane since this creates an unauthorized WiFi access point which may interfere with the plane electronics. I think it would be a major improvement if the AC adapter was permitted to continuously charge the lithium battery while in use allowing uninterrupted streaming. That would make it the ultimate traveling companion. Also, even with the 32 GB option space is limited and you will be forced to delete and add other files as time goes on which is a why a 64 GB SSD upgrade would be something I would be willing to pay extra.
*** update 8/12/2011 ***
Used this on 2 summer car trips and camping and the kids used this a lot. We had 3 iPads streaming 3 different movies from the WiDrive all at the same time without any stutters. Battery life seemed a bit better with average times of 3.5 - 4 hours in between charges. It works so well, that each of the kids now want their own personalized movie lists which is forcing me to constantly remove and upload movies to the WiDrive limited to only 32 GB (~ 25 movies encoded for iPad at medium quality settings). The perfect device would combine the functionality of the WiDrive with the space of the GoFlex Satellite. We have a 64GB iPad and 2 16GB iPads, and this fits our needs perfectly by serving as a portable media drive since the iPads are full of apps/photos/games/books/etc. The kids can keep all their games and not waste precious space with huge media files.
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Product Description
With integrated Wi-Fi and four hours of battery life, Kingston's new Wi-Drive offers pocket-sized portable storage and easy file sharing for Apple devices, including iPod touch Gen 3 & 4, iPhone and iPad. Accessing or sharing your personal media has never been easier. With Wi-Drive, you can add another 16 or 32GB of space accessed wirelessly from your digital device. The content can be shared by three people so you are no longer limited to the space available within your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Whether at home, by the pool or on the road, Wi-Drive lets you take more content with you without running out of storage space. Just back-up your files before you go and wirelessly access them from Wi-Drive when you need them. Portability: Wi-Fi enabled so you can take your favorite media with you - and not be tethered to your computer. Just use your digital device as a player and display. Expanded storage: Wi-Drive adds up to 32GB of storage space for more of your favorite music, photos, videos, PDFs and more. It's also a great companion for Windows users on iPads, as it removes the frustration of using auto sync to view content. Casual Sharing: Wi-Drive lets you share your favorite media with three users simultaneously - without any hassles. Access to the drive is done over the 801.11 g/n protocol, just like your typical home wireless hub, with a password. Carry extra files and content with you and use your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch as a display to share information. Best of all, Wi-Drive is backed by legendary Kingston reliability, 24/7 tech support and a one-year warranty.
Product Details
- Size: 32 GB
- Brand: Kingston
- Model: WID/32GBZ
- Dimensions: 2.40" h x .39" w x 4.78" l, 1.00 pounds
Features
- Wireless Network Interface - Wi-Fi 802.11g/n with wireless security (WPA/WEP)
- Rechargeable Battery - up to four hours of continuous use
- Cable - miniUSB to USB cable included. User can upload files and content from their PC/Mac to the Wi-Drive using the USB cable.
- App - downloadable at Apple's App Store
- Compatible with iPad, iPhone 3G/3GS/4, iPod touch (3G is limited to iOS4.2.1+)
- Configurable APN (access point name) and Key functions to connect to Wireless Access Point (Internet Connection)
- Guaranteed - one year warranty
- Supported File Formats: Audio: AAC, MP3, WAV Video: m4v, mov, Motion JPEG (M-JPEG), AVI Image: jpg, bmp,
- Supported File Formats: tiff Document: pdf, doc, docx, ppt, pptx, txt, rtf, xls
Click here for more information about Kingston Wi-Drive 32 GB USB 2.0 External Hard Drive WID/32GBZ
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