Lowest price for a shipped SanDisk Extreme 64GB (USB 3.0) to Australia at the moment, which is effectively the fastest USB drive on the market (slightly edged by a few far more expensive Kingston's and Lexar's; more reviews here). Over 200Mb/s read and around 190Mb/s write.
The raw price is cheaper than Amazon, Newegg, and every other retailer on StaticICE.
I've ordered from ShoppingSquare before without issue; shipping was quite fast.
Fixed.
You can buy them for $61 at Costco if you have a membership. And that's AU stock, not grey import that you have to wait a few weeks to receive.
Link?
Can't link to Costco, they don't make their prices available online etc. You need to go in store (requiring a membership) to see their prices. I can confirm they sell usb3 drives but cannot confirm it is the extreme one and at what price.
It's the extreme 64GB. That's their every day price, not special as far as I'm aware.
I have a 32gig version and I can confirm they are FAST
But they are made so fragile that I treat it with extreme care. The plastic shell is paper thin.
They are the only drawback of these Extremes, I agree. The plastic is creaky and rattles a lot and the slide mechanism I use extremely gingerly because it doesn't feel sturdy in the slightest.
Firstly, I wouldn't trust anyone who has two (2) different price listings for the same product;
(http://www.shoppingsquare.com.au/product.php?id=401542) @ $66.95
(http://www.shoppingsquare.com.au/p_401459_SanDisk_Extreme_US…) @ $71.95
**I took a couple of screenshots in-case further proof is required (i.e. because they remove one suddenly after reading my post)
Secondly, I would recommend something like the Patriot PEF64GBUSB Supersonic Boost XT 64GB USB3.0, which has a slightly reduced (constant) read/write but is about $15-$20 cheaper and far more rugged.
The turbo/extreme USB 3.0 sticks are nice but unless you are transferring from an SSD then the speed increase is totally wasted, especially with standard HDD's which simply can't keep up.
That aside;
For only $5 extra you can pick one up from MSY (http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=9613), which I also believe is the official Australian version.
For an extra $0.55 (+ $5 postage to Rockhampton, QLD) you can order an AU/NZ version from Unique Mobiles (http://www.uniquemobiles.com.au/memory-cards/sandisk-extreme…). That makes this price cheaper (for my location) overall ($67.50 + $5 postage) than the above deal, plus this is the AU/NZ version.
I found a few cheaper deals over the next hour or so of research but I believe the couple I've listed serve our current needs.
Why do you want the AU/NZ version? I have provided a link below to help answer that, but on the most basic level it's warranty. You will notice Shopping Square only list the item as having a one (1) year warranty but Unique Mobile's list the item as having a five (5) year warranty.
(http://www.sandisk.com/products/usb/drives/extreme/) SDCZ80-064G-Q46 - is the AU/NZ model number for the 64GB version (it's the Q46 part which makes it's ours).
Overall, not a bad find OP. Unfortunately I can't get it a +, but nor will I - it.
I have to admit I did some further scouting for deals on the Extreme after I put this up and I quickly realised that this a fairly average price for it, so my hat's off to you sir for taking the time to lay it out in full.
Secondly, I would recommend something like the Patriot PEF64GBUSB Supersonic Boost XT 64GB USB3.0, which has a slightly reduced (constant) read/write but is about $15-$20 cheaper and far more rugged.
I actually have the Supersonic Boost XT (32GB version) which I use as my "everyday" USB drive at work and while you're right in saying that it is a damn sight more durable than the Extreme, especially since it has no sliding mechanism, it still feels fairly cheap (because it is) and you can actually feel the PCB housing inside it move when you flex the rubber ever so slightly. I mean it'll take a bounce or two onto a carpeted floor but it's no Corsair Flash Survivor or ioSafe Rugged Portable.
In a speed comparison with the Extreme though, there is no comparison. On every interface/platform/hardware combination I've tried both drives (USB 2/USB 3/USB hub, old mobo/new mobo, XP/Vista/7, etc.) the Extreme is noticeably quicker than the Patriot when transferring files of all sizes. I've had both for a bout 7 months now and the Extreme just has no equal.
I'd still handily recommend the Extreme any day; just be careful with it, not that hard.
Nothing seems to be designed to last these days sigh
considering it is being drop shipped i'd say it's not really in australia