14 DAY TRIAL // There are various ways one can make a certain product stand out, but flash drives don't really have a variety as large as other product types, so Active Media Products had to experiment with different shapes.
Many things can be said about the flash drive market, especially about its evolution over the past couple of years.
Granted, the IT industry as a whole evolved either gradually or though veritable leaps in performance, while altogether new product types appeared.
In the case of external storage, advancements like the SuperSpeed USB 3.0 standard were and still are part of headlines.
Active Media Products didn't go for that technology when it created its newest Key flash drive units.
Since the new Key-3 and Key-4 are more focused on endurance, the company ended up not implementing the cost-adding USB 3.0 support.
Thus, the newcomers are restricted, so to speak, to the USB 2.0 and, thanks to backwards compatibility, USB 1.1 ports as well.
On the other hand, what AMP did go ahead and utilize was the COB (chip-on-board) technology, which enables a better performance as well as more compact product sizes.
That said, the Key-3 measures 40 x 26 x 4 mm, while the Key-4 is a bit larger, at 62 x 28 x 3 mm. As their names imply, they boast a key-shaped casing, made of chrome-plated metal.
"We have three distinctive styles of key shaped drives, all of which feature chrome finished metal casings,” stated Active Media Products' VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson.
“These Key drives give you a fashionable new way to carry your data,” he added.
For those that are concerned about the survivability of the new flash units, Active Media Products made them waterproof.
They should already be listed online, in capacities of 4 GB and 8 GB, with prices of $14.95 and $21.95, respectively.
