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.

View Tags

Source: http://www.lacie.com/us/products/product.htm?pid=11225

Categories

Accessories Hardware Peripherals Road Tested

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...

Add a Comment

Sign in »

27 Comments

Filter by:

artifex

I don't need super-rugged. I don't even lose caps. What I do need is fast. I hate starting to transfer a large file only to discover it will take a half hour or so because the stick doesn't really support high speed.

April 22 2009 at 10:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Leo

These things are flying off the shelves at Tekserve, where I work, and people are still coming in, asking if we have them yet.

April 17 2009 at 4:41 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Tom

Noticed from your pics that you have a whole load of metal hanging on there.
Having too much weight on your set of keys is not so good as I believe It can damage the ignition barrel of your car. Of course it could also damage your usb port if you let it hang un-supported.

Otherwise, its neat and I would buy one.

April 13 2009 at 9:08 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Gregg Fuller

I've had one of these for a while. I love it. I only have 3 other keys so my keychain is very light and can hang freely from a usb port without damaging it.

Awesome stuff

http://www.jobbyroger.com

April 13 2009 at 7:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

bruce robertso

The cap-on-keychain design is the only way to go. I've used this type for years.
1. No, you won't lose the cap.
2. You won't damage your USB port
3. You don't have to hand your keys around the room if you're sharing files on the drive, or risk damaging somebody else's computer.
4. The focus of your attention is on the drive and what you're doing with it. You're not going to lose it.

April 13 2009 at 5:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

bruce robertso

Eric: I have no obligation to lose either the cap or drive.

April 13 2009 at 5:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Yakov Chodosh

i just use dropbox (getdropbox.com)...

April 13 2009 at 3:04 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Lee (UK)

But for Â£9 ($15) shipping in the UK , you can forget ordering it from their site! Insured post is all of Â£2 max.

April 13 2009 at 8:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Lee (UK)'s comment

jmillsted

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.

April 13 2009 at 10:17 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

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.

April 13 2009 at 8:20 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Mr B

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...

April 13 2009 at 6:22 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply