Apple picker Some users of iOS devices were irritated by one limitation - Apple did not allow any connection of external data drives. Previously, this shortcoming could only be circumvented by jailbreaking. But now you can use a special flash drive. Our loyal reader Karel Macner will share his experience with you.
Some time ago I was in an article Apple week #22 read about PhotoFast and their flash drive for iPhone and iPad. Because I really missed something like this, despite a certain mistrust of this device, I decided to order it directly on the manufacturer's website - www.photofast.tw. I paid by credit card already at the end of June, but since the distribution was just starting, the deliveries were supposed to take place later - during the summer. I did not receive the shipment with the flash drive until mid-August. And what did it actually come to me? The iFlashDrive device is basically a regular flash drive that you connect via a USB connector to a computer with any operating system. However, it also has a dock connector, so you can also connect it to an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. PhotoFast offers it in 8, 16 and 32 GB sizes.
iFlashDrive packaging
You will only receive a box with the device itself - a kind of larger flash drive with two connectors, protected by a transparent cover. The size is 50x20x9 mm, the weight is 58 g. The processing is very good, it does not offend Apple-style products and does not lag behind them. Compatibility with iOS 4.0, OS X, Windows XP and Windows 7 is stated, but there should be no problem with using it on any commonly used computer OS – the flash drive is already formatted to MS-DOS (FAT-32) from the beginning. You don't need any special software on your computer, but you need to download and install an application to work with the iDevice iFlashDrive, which is available for free in the App Store.
What does the device do and how does it work?
When connected to a computer, it behaves like a regular flash drive. When connected to an iDevice, it's similar - it's basically a storage medium with files and directories that you can access through the iFlashDrive app. However, the small difference is that on the computer you can work with the files on the flash drive in the same way as with the files on the HDD, while on the iDevice you cannot open, run or edit files directly on this flash drive. You must first transfer them to the iDevice memory. It is therefore not possible, for example, to watch movies on this flash drive through the iPhone, until you transfer them directly to it - it is necessary to move or copy them.
What can iFlashDrive do?
It works like a regular file manager, i.e. similar to GoodReader or iFiles, but it can also access files and directories on the connected iFlashDrive flash drive and copy or move them bidirectionally. Furthermore, it enables viewing of common office documents from MS Office or iWork, viewing images, playing video in m4v, mp4 and mpv format and playing music in several common formats as well. In addition, it can create or edit a simple text file, record and save an audio recording, and access images in the native iOS photo gallery. Of course, it can also send files by email or pass them on to other iOS applications (Open in...) that can work with them. What it cannot yet do is connect to remote servers or perform wireless data transfers. As a small detail, it also offers backup and restoration of contacts in the address book - the backup file is saved on the flash drive and in the iDevice memory.
Advantages and disadvantages
You don't need a jailbreak to use iFlashDrive. It's a completely legal way to get important documents from any computer (no iTunes, no WiFi, no internet access) to your iDevice. Or vice versa. And as far as I know, it's also the only way, if I don't count jailbreak attempts, which especially don't work reliably on iPhones. In short, iFlashDrive enables a unique thing, but in return you have to pay quite a bit of money for it.
The larger dimensions of this flash drive can be considered a drawback. Where today anyone carries their pocket storage medium on their keys and here they will probably be a little disappointed - there is not even an eyelet or loop for hanging. The width will then cause problems when connecting to a laptop - on my MacBook, it also disables the second USB port. The solution is to connect the iFlashDrive via an extension cable (it was not included in the package). Even extremely low transmission speeds will not please you. Roughly speaking - copying a 700 MB video from a Macbook to an iFlashDrive took about 3 minutes 20 seconds, and copying from an iFlashDrive to an iPhone 4 took an incredible 1 hour 50 minutes. I don't even want to believe it - it's probably useless. What would I do with the 32GB version then? However, it is enough to transfer ordinary documents. I would also like to add that while copying the mentioned video, the application was of course running the whole time and the progress of copying could be seen on the illuminated display, so the iPhone's battery also felt it - in less than 2 hours it dropped to 60%. Meanwhile, transferring the same video over a cable via iTunes to the same app took 1 minute 10 seconds. As for the video playback itself in the iFlashDrive application, it went without any problems and it was a video in HD quality. (The fault of the low transfer speed is on Apple's side, the transfer protocol to the iDevice limits the speed from 10 MB/s to 100 KB/s! Editor's note.)
The iFlashDrive also does not allow charging of the connected iDevice and is not used for synchronization - it should not be used with both connectors connected at the same time. In short, it's a flash drive, nothing more. Battery life shouldn't be a problem with normal use, and apart from a test with the transfer of a larger video file, I didn't notice any big demands on power.
For how much?
As for the price, it is really high compared to regular flash drives. The version with a capacity of 8 GB costs almost 2 thousand crowns, the highest 32 GB version will cost more than 3 and a half thousand crowns. To this, it is necessary to add postage in the amount of approximately 500 crowns and VAT in the amount of 20% (from the price of the device and transport). I bought a model with 8 GB and after taking into account the post office fee for customs procedures (the duty was not assessed) it cost me less than 3 thousand - a cruel amount for a flash drive. I probably discouraged most of the interested parties by doing so. However, for those for whom this amount is not in the first place and who cares about the most important thing - the possibility of transferring documents to their iDevices from computers without iTunes, they probably won't hesitate too much. After all, it will add another dimension to the capabilities and use of the iPad, for example.
In conclusion, I would allow myself to evaluate at least the benefit of the device for me. The price was high, but I am satisfied with the functionality. I mostly only need to transfer ordinary documents, mainly *.doc, *.xls and *.pdf in a smaller volume. I often work with isolated computers that don't have iTunes and aren't even connected to the Internet. The ability to download a document from them and send it in an instant via iPhone to colleagues by email (or using Dropbox and iDisk) is only thanks to iFlashDrive. So it does an invaluable service for me - I always have my iPhone with me and I don't have to carry a laptop connected to the Internet with me.
Well, the impossibility of starting data directly from the device would bother me enough. I use a seagate goflex satellite 500GB and luckily it is possible there. I have a few movies in MP4 even over 4 GB, so we don't get stuck with FAT.
In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before this functionality will be available in the APP, when it is possible to play movies in VLC sic uploaded to the iPhone, so why shouldn't this app be able to play files. But I don't know how it is with the restriction of SandBoxing here..
After all, it can run files. They just have to be recorded on that iPhone, just like with VLC.
I see that the device was announced here already a year ago (Apple Week #22) and I still don't know of any knock-offs or anything else that could replace it. It's still a unique item and I don't know of anyone selling it here.
The main advantage is copying between iDevices. This is simply not possible without wifi and a PC.
It doesn't work on iOS 6. :-(
I'll add: on iOS6.01 it doesn't work on iPad2, but it works on iPhone4S.
On the iPad2 6.01, it sometimes works when the power is turned on to the classic USB connector on the other side of the iFlashDrive
Hmmm, so again about nothing... 8GB for a pair, I will copy for an hour, I won't look at the content in any way, etc., etc.. And the engineers will open access to the kernel or separate it so that these things can run fully. But that's a waste of words.