I’m all about user experience. That’s why I have Macs, an iPhone, a Nikon DSLR, and drive a 15-passenger van. {Okay, so the 15-passenger van is totally non-conducive to user experience; it’s a necessity.} I could talk, type, shoot, edit, and design on other equipment, but the ones I’ve chosen enhance the experience for me: they’re attractive, efficient, techy, and just plain fun.

This is also why it was love at first site when I discovered Mimobot Designer USB Flash Drives.

Does your USB flash drive have to be this disgustingly cute? Maybe not. But I’m happy mine is.

{If Hello Kitty isn’t your thing, never fear: Mimobot has fun flash drives for everyone. Browse their entire collection here.}

One of my favorite features on my 4GB Mimobot is the fact that the top and bottom pieces fit together so securely, which isn’t the case with all flash drives. It came pre-loaded with fun stuff like wallpapers, screensavers, and icons for my computer. I like to switch my wallpaper every few days; my cool factor increases dramatically with my girls when my computer is sporting a Hello Kitty background.

You may be thinking, “Yeah, that’s a nice flash drive, but I don’t really need one.” Believe me when I say that in the world we live in, a portable USB flash drive is a necessity. I keep mine in my purse and don’t leave home without it.

Here are a few instances of when a flash drive has either helped me, or saved the day:

• Help-Portrait—When it came time to transfer photos from my laptop to the portable hard drive being used to collect all edited images, my MacBook refused to communicate with the drive. I could open the drive and see the files it contained, but couldn’t transfer mine. I popped my Mimobot into my laptop, put the pictures on it, and then used it to transfer the pictures to another computer.
• Music—My cousin’s boyfriend plays in a band and she wanted to share a new CD with me; we popped my USB flash drive into her laptop and copied it there.
• Printing—When I got the new Snow Leopard operating system on my computer, my printer and computer wouldn’t speaks to each other for a couple of months. We homeschool and I also teach outside classes, both of which require lots of printing. I loaded the documents on my flash drive and transfered them to another computer in our home to print.
• She Speaks—When I spoke at the She Speaks conference, they didn’t have the right kind of cable to connect my laptop to the overhead projector. I had copied my slideshow onto my flash drive, which enabled us to transfer it to an audience member’s laptop. Having a USB flash drive literally saved the day.

Mimobot USB Flash Drives come in 2, 4, 8, and 16GB sizes.

Disclosure: Product provided for review. Opinions expressed are my own.