17 into 4 Will Go
Buy Now...
How many different types of flash memory cards do you think are currently available? I was surprised to discover, during a recent surfing session, that there are at least 42 different types. This information was revealed by the discovery of an internal device that supports all 42 different types yet has just four slots as is standard with all the card readers that I have seen including the Integral USB 2.0 Flash Drive MultiCard Reader which is the subject of this review.
The Integral reader has the capability to read and write to 17 different types of memory card which, I suppose, might make it seem like a poor relation to the 42-1 device mentioned earlier. However it could be argued that the vast majority of users would struggle to make use of even a small percentage of the available formats supported by the 42:1 device. Even the 17 supported types of the Integral device, while covering most eventualities, might seem like over-kill although it does give the user greater freedom when deciding which digital camera, PDA or MP3 player to purchase.
Measuring 97 x 58 x 18mm (W x D x H), this silver reader is compatible with both PC and Mac systems. It makes use of USB 2.0 which is capable of providing transfer speeds of up to 40x faster than those available from USB 1.1. Four card slots are positioned on the front of the device while the USB connection is at the rear and a lead is provided for linking the reader to the computer. As is standard, no indication is given as to which type of card fits into which slot. You need to rely on common sense and match the size of the card to the appropriate slot on the reader.
Apart from Windows 98SE, no drivers should be necessary although a CD with appropriate drivers is included. Once connected to your system, the various types of card will appear as removable drives. You can copy data to and from cards and also copy data from one type of card to another.
The full list of supported card formats is Secure Digital (SD), Mini Secure Digital, TransFlash/Micro SD (with adaptor), MultiMediaCard (MMC), MultiMedia Plus, MultiMedia Mobile, MMC Micro (with adaptor), Reduced Sized MultiMedia Card, CompactFlash, XD Picture Card, Smart Media, MicroDrive, MagicStore Drive, MemoryStick, MemoryStick Pro, Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick Pro Duo.
This reader will cost £18.99 and is well worth considering unless you are the type who feels that can not survive without covering all eventualities.
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