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HDDs are still the storage device of choice when it comes to PCs. SSDs are gaining on them pretty fast and might dethrone them in a couple of years. Memory cards and USB sticks aren’t really an alternative but they can help you transfer data between your PC and other portable devices. That would be all for storage devices… wait, what about Buffalo’s new MicroStation?

According to ElectricPig, the new MicroStation from Buffalo is said to be world’s first external solid state USB drive. So it’s like a USB stick, but it uses SSD technology. Now that’s quite an achievement, but it doesn’t look as compact as a USB stick. However, the credit-card-sized device comes with more storage space: you can choose from 32GB, 64GB and 100GB models. The slim drive connects to your PC via a USB 2.0 cable that can be wrapped around its body when not in use. Speedier than a USB stick? Buffalo claims it is, mentioning speeds of up to 35MB per second.

Just how much heavier can it be compared to aUSB stick? 60g in total? That’s quite light, and it measures a mere 89 x 57 x 14mm. Pretty small and light, but the SSD technology tells us it’s shock-proof and can take quite a beating.

No visible flaws as far as I can see, but here comes the pricing info. Like most of the devices that come in a compact size and offer a quality jump from anything we’ve seen up until that moment, the prices announced by Buffalo won’t make people invade e-tailers or stores to get hold of this newcomer. In the UK, you can find Buffalo’s MicroStation for £115 (32GB), £230 (64GB) and £344 (100GB).