A closer look, and specifications
The drive is about the same size as a packet of Polos, and the cylindrical appearance is down to the aluminium shell that screws in to one side.
By screwing in to one side, which includes a seal, Corsair is able to qualify the SURVIVOR series to water resistance to 200m, although how many people will take it down that far is anyone's guess.
Two rubberised sections give it traction on slippery surfaces and some semblance of vibration protection, and an eyelet, on either end, enables a hook-up to a keyring. One of the black sections highlights which side the drive opens from, handily.
Initial impressions are good; the casing not giving away to vigorous squeezing or prodding. The extra-thick aluminium gives a weighty feeling that imbues the SURVIVOR with a sense of palpable strength.
But here it is laid bare, after the screw-in casing has been removed. Clearly, you will need to do this every time data needs to be accessed or written.
There's a small activity LED that denotes usage, so don't pull out before it's done flashing (ooh, err - ed). Being USB2.0-compliant, no drivers are needed for Windows operating systems after '98. Linux, too, is supported, but needs to be kernel 2.4.2, or higher.
Minimal power requirements mean that the drive is host-powered, of course.
We like the fact that it's also bootable, meaning that you can install and boot an operating system from it - something worth considering knowing the 32GB capacity on offer.
And here it is lined up against a slew of other high-capacity drives, in various form factors.
The drive ships with a limited 10-year warranty, too, and warranty details are available here.
Official specifications
- Available in 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB capacities
- Encased in extremely strong CNC-milled, anodized aircraft-grade aluminum.
- Water resistant to 200m through the use of an EPDM waterproof seal.
- Protected from vibration or impact damage through the use of a moulded shock-dampening collar.
- Plug-&-Play with any USB 2.0 certified peripheral computer port (backward-compatible with USB 1.1).
- USB extension cable and dogtags included.
- Protected by a limited 10-year warranty.
