Gigabyte's entry into the world of Hi-Speed USB flash drives is the aptly named GO-U0128B, and it has to be one of the most compact flash drives we have ever tested. The whole device measures 45 x 20 x 9mm when the USB jack is retracted into its protective case.

Consider this though, the actual guts of the GO-U0128B are something insane like 42 x 14 x 8mm in size! This is one mini-USB2.0 flash drive!

The GO-U0128B flash drive comes encased in an aluminum and plastic shell, and a small thumb catch allows users to extend the USB jack out (click to lock it!) when they want to use the device. No cap? Wonderful! PCstats has run through a few other USB flash drives recently, and the caps used to keep dust and debris out of the USB jack are always getting lost.

While this retractable approach won't physically keep dust bunnies from making their way into the jack, it does give it a good measure of protection.... and there is no cap to loose. :)

Gigabyte GO-U0128B 128MB Includes: Lanyard and instructions.

As the Gigabyte GO-U0128B 128MB USB2.0 flash drive is so small, the manufacturer has included a leather lanyard to attach it to. The USB drive can be separated from the lanyard, which is intended to be worn around the neck, by a small metal catch. The catch is pretty solid, but I'd be hesitant to use it... mostly because I prefer to carry my USB flash drives on a key chain.

To indicate data transfer activity, the GO-U0128B uses a bright blue LED that illuminates the clear plastic behind the aluminum shell. Blue LEDs are known to draw a little more power than comparable green or red LEDs, which is not an issue if this USB drive is attached to a desktop PC. However, why would anyone want to drain their laptop batteries faster just so a USB flash drive looks cool?

Don't get me wrong, the bright blue light is unmistakable, and will ensure that users don't pull the USB drive out of the socket while a file transfer is going on, but it is overkill. The blue LED is practically a stobe light as it flashes to the tune of a data transfer, and way too flashy for its own good.

In the pictures above you can get a sense for just how small the Gigabyte GO-U0128B 128MB flash drive is (at top). Compared to the ultra thin Crucial Gizmo 2.0 (middle), the GO-U0128B is quite a bit shorter.

With the retracted Gigabyte GO-U0128B sitting side-by-side to a couple of other USB flash drives, you really get a sense for its small size. Though, I really would have liked to have been able to attach a key ring to the GO-U0128B instead of using a pesky lanyard.