One of the problems with using a Mac computer is that many of the devices that Windows users can take advantage of are often not Mac compatible. This is especially true of products like flash drives that use encryption to protect data.

Kingston has announced that its DataTraveler Vault Privacy Edition is now compatible with Mac OSX 10.4x to 10.5x. The drive connects to the computer via a USB port and offers hardware-based data encryption.

The encryption standard used is 256-bit AES and encryption is done on-the-fly as data is written to the flash drive. The drive is made from aluminum and is water resistant to four feet. The big downside of the drive is that it is expensive. A 2GB version sells for $110 with a 32GB version going for $910. It’s a good thing Mac users are used to paying more for stuff.