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USB memory keys are sometimes referred to as memory pens and in the case of the PNY Attaché Executive this is indeed a very fitting description as it actually is a pen.

This is by far the largest of the memory keys on test, but with the added functionality of having a built in ballpoint pen. It measures 150 x 17mm (LxR) which means that it has a much larger radius than a normal ballpoint pen. Everyone in the office did however agree that they’d rather carry a smaller USB storage device and a separate pen, since the PNY Attaché Executive is quite heavy and cumbersome.

The choice of colour might not appeal to everyone either, with a red and black carbon fibre look on the body of the pen. The clip has been decorated with a plastic jewel in pink, which adds no functionality at all, and provides questionable aesthetic value at best. The top of the pen is fitted with a lens that lights up in red when the USB key is accessed, and it has to be said that this does look quite smart. The PNY Attaché Executive is also top heavy which doesn’t help when you try to write with it. The only accessory you get is a replacement ballpoint refill for when the fitted one runs out, while security software is conspicuous by its absence.

This is a novel idea, but sadly it hasn’t been executed very well. Performance is pretty average on a whole, and it ends up in about the middle of the field in most of the tests. But it is fairly slow in the read tests compared to the other devices in the group. The price is also very steep for a 256MB device, but that extra cost has obviously gone into the design. The Executive does come with the same two year warranty as the standard Attaché which is something in its favour. Overall it is hard to recommend the PNY Attaché Executive since there are better devices out there that won’t cost you anywhere near as much.

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