LaCie FastKey review: Fast, furiously expensive

LaCie's FastKey USB drive is the first USB 3.0 solid-state portable storage solution that is the size of a large thumb drive.

(Credit: Dong Ngo/CNET)

What do you get when you put solid-state storage, USB 3.0 connectivity, and a thumb-size design together? Well, you'll get LaCie's FastKey.

This is a unique portable storage solution that uses the fastest technology in terms of storage type (solid state) and peripheral connectivity (USB 3.0). On top of that, the device is about the size of a large thumb drive but offers up to 120GB of storage space.

Unfortunately, for the quite obvious reasons stated above (namely is high-end functionality), it isn't cheap; the LaCie FastKey costs $475 for the 120GB version. The drive is also available in 60GB and 30GB capacities for $250 and $150, respectively.

You pay for what you get, however, as the FastKey really lives up to its name. It's one of the fastest USB 3.0 portable drives we've ever seen. If compared against any thumb drive on the market, it would be by far the fastest ever made.

The FastKey also supports AES 256-bit encryption, which allows for creating a secure partition that requires a password to access. This is a great feature to keep your data safe in case of loss or theft. And judging from the look of the device, you might create quite a bit of temptation when you show it to people. The good thing is, thanks to the size, it's easy to keep it hidden from admiring eyes.