Filed under: Accessories, Hardware, Peripherals, Road Tested
Road Tested: LaCie iamaKey, the USB flash drive you'll actually use
USB flash drives are a dime a dozen. They've gone from being a "wow" item a few years ago to a throwaway handout item. Many are cheap plastic devices that either come with a neck lanyard attached or with a small loop for attaching to a key ring. More often than not, they end up falling to pieces or getting lost.
The new LaCie iamaKey (highlighted above) is a USB 2.0 flash drive you'll actually use. Rather than being made out of plastic, it's made of solid metal. Rather than having a useless lanyard attached, there's a hole in the metal so you can put it on a key ring. It's about the size and shape of a key, so it's not out of place on a key ring.
iamaKey came with a tiny plastic cap that covered the connector. Of course, after about 15 minutes the cap disappeared. I was concerned about that until finding out that iamaKey uses a gold SIP connector that resists scratches and water. You don't need the cap at all.
So, does it still work after almost two months of riding around in a pocket with a bunch of other keys and change? Absolutely! It's been dropped multiple times, it's gotten soaked in the pocket of a pair of jeans I was wearing during a sudden downpour, and it's put up with winter cold while I've been out walking. iamaKey is rugged and fast, with up to 30 MB/s read rates and 10 MB/s write speeds.
iamaKey comes in 4 GB (US$19.99) and 8 GB (US$29.99) flavors. LaCie also sells the less rugged and larger itsaKey, which retails for US$3 less than iamaKey.
iamaKey came with a tiny plastic cap that covered the connector. Of course, after about 15 minutes the cap disappeared. I was concerned about that until finding out that iamaKey uses a gold SIP connector that resists scratches and water. You don't need the cap at all.
So, does it still work after almost two months of riding around in a pocket with a bunch of other keys and change? Absolutely! It's been dropped multiple times, it's gotten soaked in the pocket of a pair of jeans I was wearing during a sudden downpour, and it's put up with winter cold while I've been out walking. iamaKey is rugged and fast, with up to 30 MB/s read rates and 10 MB/s write speeds.
iamaKey comes in 4 GB (US$19.99) and 8 GB (US$29.99) flavors. LaCie also sells the less rugged and larger itsaKey, which retails for US$3 less than iamaKey.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
M said 9:10PM on 4-12-2009
Been using it for about a month and a half. Love it!
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Christo said 9:51PM on 4-12-2009
I ordered two of these about a month ago... Unfortunately, they're on back order, and keep getting delayed... I guess that's what happens when you find the cheapest dealer out there... But I am excited to get these, especially now with this review!
-C
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Word Up, North Korea! said 9:51PM on 4-12-2009
Please review the bottle opener/flash drive made by trekstor next!
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Harish said 10:43PM on 4-12-2009
Just bought one a few hours ago when I saw they were back in stock at LaCie.
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Rafael Reis said 10:48PM on 4-12-2009
Its a copy (a bigger one) of supertalent's pico C.
I have one for over a year now, 8GB, fast and extremely resistant. SUpertalent's one doesn't come with a cap.
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darren said 9:14AM on 4-13-2009
Glad to see I'm not the only one who thought this.
I've been using two Pico C's in work for a while now, one as an emergency boot drive when I get a machine with a dead HDD and the other to do a fast install from. (Its not as fast as a Firewire install, but its close - plus it comes at a more convenient size.)
Rafael Reis said 10:51PM on 4-12-2009
http://www.supertalent.com/products/stt_usb_detail.php?type=Pico#
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Mike said 9:26AM on 4-13-2009
In addition to the one reviewed, LaCie has two other models in the family without a cap -- itsakey and passkey. the passkey can also handle a microSD flash card.
Very sturdy. Much better than plastic. More importantly, quite fast!
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bruce robertso said 11:42PM on 4-12-2009
This device still has it backwards. Who wants to hang a keychain on a USB port? Get something like the SanDisk Crossfire. The CAP goes on the keychain. (I have no affiliation to SanDisk)
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eric f. said 10:56AM on 4-13-2009
as stated when the iamakey was announced, would you rather lose the cap or the flash drive?
Joe said 12:12AM on 4-13-2009
the pico c looks good, but it might be too small.
What if the usb port is hard to reach and your keychain is too big to get in there.
The iamakey looks like it would be the better option for that IMO.
I like the bottle opener from trekstor for the same reason.
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Twist said 1:07AM on 4-13-2009
Wish I had known about these a few months ago when I bought an 8 gig flash drive.
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paavopetie1 said 2:00AM on 4-13-2009
i will never buy another lacie product. if you have a defective product, they make you send it back for repair on your own dime. no thanks. i guess apple just has me accustomed to better service.
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THJ said 1:02PM on 4-13-2009
I had the opposite experience. My LaCie 500GB Quadra started 'clicking' on power on, and while I could see in the profiler that it was physically connected, it would not mount. I email LaCie tech support, and they advised that I try changinf out the power supply. I replied that I didn't have an extra, and they said no problem. 3 Days later I had a new power supply, and that fixed the problem.
I didn't pay a dime.
James Franson said 7:04PM on 4-14-2009
I had the same experience with a Lacie drive. They replaced the drive but the shipping cost I had to pay sent it from a cost effective hard drive to a more than I wanted to pay hard drive. I'm very cautious about any product from them.
Matt said 3:36AM on 4-13-2009
If you want rugged, I would look at the Sandisk Cruzer Titanium. The USB retracts into its steel body. My buddy dropped his in the school parking lot and lost it for a week and it still worked even though it had obviously been ran over by a car or two.
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Mr B said 6:23AM on 4-13-2009
My LaCie DVD burner and my LaCie external HD have both decided to start acting the dick in the last few weeks. I wish Logitech made storage gear...
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b said 8:20AM on 4-13-2009
the itsaKey is actually more rugged, not less - it is made of the same material but the usb connector is enclosed in metal and not as susceptible to scratches or dents.
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Lee said 8:34AM on 4-13-2009
But for £9 ($15) shipping in the UK , you can forget ordering it from their site! Insured post is all of £2 max.
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jmillsted said 10:18AM on 4-13-2009
I just ordered one off amazon.co.uk free delivery, some marketplace sellers there have it in stock now, but I will wait for amazon to get it in stock.