quaker, nice small download, I'll give it a try and let you know.
Spent the day in USB land, what I've learned:
a) Not every USB stick is the same, even the same model from a manufacturer.
b) Your system is a determining factor, a local port, either in the front or back or a USB hub can vary speeds.
c) Online reviews or tests are to be taken with a grain of salt, use them as a baseline.
d) Dual channel technology is coming, that's why all current USB drives in the retail channel are on sale.
e) Most sticks come formatted as FAT, they can be formatted as FAT32 for extra storage.
f) FAT32 could speed up the drive or make it slower, depends on the drive.
g) NTFS can be used via a command prompt: convert e: /fs:ntfs
h) NTFS is the fastest at transferring files and overall usage, but the drive light glows all the time.
Went with a full XAMPP install on my PNY 1GB stick:
XAMPP 1.5.5: 311MB FAT, with Perl addon: 579MB FAT
Via the xampp-control.exe program, it's a cinch to start and stop the programs.
In conclusion, get the cheapest first generation 1GB stick you can find to play around. Then shop around for the dual channel versions when they come into the retail stores.
The current speed freaks: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/printpage/384/1