the TOP 10 Memory Card Readers - Memory & Readers - 06/07/2008
all of the TOP tens are available to buy on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com - just click on the item to buy
Memory Card Readers
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Review for 3.5" USB 2.0 INTERNAL MEMORY CARD READER / WRITER - BLACK:
3.5" USB 2.0 INTERNAL MEMORY CARD READER / WRITER - BLACK
New Price:
£4.02
Review for 3.5" USB 2.0 INTERNAL MEMORY CARD READER / WRITER - BLACK:
85
86
Review for Trust 3.5" Media Connect Bay CR-3400:
Somewhat surprised to find that apart from the SATA cable connection all the other connections have to be made to existing external USB/Firewire points, WHY?, there are spare internal USB connections, but not with the standard"plug" Unless there is a technical reason it is a bad design which wastes two external USB's Also the instruction manual has a lot to be desired. What should have taken a few minutes to install ended up taking a couple of hours by the time I realised that if you did not plug the unit into an external USB point there was no power.
Trust 3.5" Media Connect Bay CR-3400
Our Price:
£14.99
New Price:
£10.50
Review for Trust 3.5" Media Connect Bay CR-3400:
Axeman
Trust CR-3400 Internal Media card reader.Somewhat surprised to find that apart from the SATA cable connection all the other connections have to be made to existing external USB/Firewire points, WHY?, there are spare internal USB connections, but not with the standard"plug" Unless there is a technical reason it is a bad design which wastes two external USB's Also the instruction manual has a lot to be desired. What should have taken a few minutes to install ended up taking a couple of hours by the time I realised that if you did not plug the unit into an external USB point there was no power.
87
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Review for Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-in-1 Media Reader:
Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-in-1 Media Reader
New Price:
£6.99
Review for Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-in-1 Media Reader:
You get what you pay for
I bought this card reader/writer before the market was swamped with silly cheap equivalents. Having used both the Belkin and no-name competitors (some of which look very similar) I have concluded that it was worth spending the extra money. The Belkin seems to have better quality connectors, it is very well made, it is fast and reliable. It comes with a driver which gives each drive letter an icon which identifies the card type. As with all Belkin products, it arrives well packed in a good quality box complete with an instruction booklet (if you need instructions for a USB card reader!).
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Review for GZ- 23 in 1 Memory Card Reader - with built in 3 port hub:
As a USB hub it lacks anything resembling reliability. Recognition of devices was intermittent. Two USB thumb drives failed to work in any of the ports. A third worked temporarily then disappeared from Windows despite the hub light indicating it was connected. Externally powered hard drives did not register at all.
My USB Wacom tablet worked, then didn't, then did, then didn't, you get the idea.
You're only allowed to plug in one device at a time. A USB mouse worked fine until I tried connecting another USB peripheral whereupon the unit failed to see anything plugged in. The same happened with a USB mouse and a CF card: I could have one or the other plugged in, not both simultaneously.
The card reader is little better. It refused to read several SD cards which work perfectly in other devices and readers. CF cards worked all of the time but the data card data throughput is the slowest of any reader I've had.
A second unit behaved in exactly the same way.
And if I was really nitpicking: the USB lead is far too short for connecting to a PC under the desk.
Avoid.
GZ- 23 in 1 Memory Card Reader - with built in 3 port hub
New Price:
£0.97
Review for GZ- 23 in 1 Memory Card Reader - with built in 3 port hub:
You get what you pay for.
Difficult to know where to start in cataloguing what's wrong with this unit.As a USB hub it lacks anything resembling reliability. Recognition of devices was intermittent. Two USB thumb drives failed to work in any of the ports. A third worked temporarily then disappeared from Windows despite the hub light indicating it was connected. Externally powered hard drives did not register at all.
My USB Wacom tablet worked, then didn't, then did, then didn't, you get the idea.
You're only allowed to plug in one device at a time. A USB mouse worked fine until I tried connecting another USB peripheral whereupon the unit failed to see anything plugged in. The same happened with a USB mouse and a CF card: I could have one or the other plugged in, not both simultaneously.
The card reader is little better. It refused to read several SD cards which work perfectly in other devices and readers. CF cards worked all of the time but the data card data throughput is the slowest of any reader I've had.
A second unit behaved in exactly the same way.
And if I was really nitpicking: the USB lead is far too short for connecting to a PC under the desk.
Avoid.
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Memory Card Readers, Kensington 7-in-1 Media Reader for ExpressCard slot - Card reader - 7 in 1 ( Memory Stick, MS PRO, MMC, SD, xD ) - ExpressCard, Inov8 Multi Slot Card Reader, Sandisk XD/SM USB 2.0 Reader., 3.5" USB 2.0 INTERNAL MEMORY CARD READER / WRITER - BLACK, Takems 2in1 USB Stick and Memory Card Reader ( SDHC , sd , mini sd , mmc , rs-mmc , transflash ), Trust 3.5" Media Connect Bay CR-3400, Sandisk Image mate 12 in 1 card reader in retail packaging, Boynq Toastit! USB2.0 Multi Card Reader - Black, Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-in-1 Media Reader, SanDisk 5 in 1 USB 2.0 Mobile Card Reader / Writer, Dynamode USB All in One External Media Card Reader, TeckNet VC-340 USB2.0 All in 1 Multi Slot Card Reader (Silver), Hama Sd/Mmc Cardreaderwriter 6In1, USB 2.0, takeMS Fast 8GB TINY HI Speed USB 2.0 SECURE Flash Drive Memory stick , password protect , Data encryption & Compression , Drive partioning , Portable email & Sync , No trace internet browsing , bootable + Free Lanyard & (Carry It Easy +Plus) worth 24.99,, takeMS Fast 4GB TINY HI Speed USB 2.0 SECURE Flash Drive Memory stick , password protect , Data encryption & Compression , Drive partioning , Portable email & Sync , No trace internet browsing , bootable + Free Lanyard & (Carry It Easy +Plus) worth 24.99,, GZ- 23 in 1 Memory Card Reader - with built in 3 port hub, Sandisk Image mate 5 in 1 card reader in retail packaging, External USB 2.0 Card Reader All in 1 SD,MS,MMC,CF,SM, takeMS Fast 8GB TINY HI Speed USB 2.0 SECURE Flash Drive Memory stick , password protect , Data encryption & Compression , Drive partioning , Portable email & Sync , No trace internet browsing , bootable + Free Lanyard & (Carry It Easy +Plus) worth 24.99,, SANDISK EXREME IV 2048MB CF WITH READER
, Kensington 7-in-1 Media Reader for ExpressCard slot - Card reader - 7 in 1 ( Memory Stick, MS PRO, MMC, SD, xD ) - ExpressCard, Inov8 Multi Slot Card Reader, Sandisk XD/SM USB 2.0 Reader., 3.5" USB 2.0 INTERNAL MEMORY CARD READER / WRITER - BLACK, Takems 2in1 USB Stick and Memory Card Reader ( SDHC , sd , mini sd , mmc , rs-mmc , transflash ), Trust 3.5" Media Connect Bay CR-3400, Sandisk Image mate 12 in 1 card reader in retail packaging, Boynq Toastit! USB2.0 Multi Card Reader - Black, Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 8-in-1 Media Reader, SanDisk 5 in 1 USB 2.0 Mobile Card Reader / Writer, Dynamode USB All in One External Media Card Reader, TeckNet VC-340 USB2.0 All in 1 Multi Slot Card Reader (Silver), Hama Sd/Mmc Cardreaderwriter 6In1, USB 2.0, takeMS Fast 8GB TINY HI Speed USB 2.0 SECURE Flash Drive Memory stick , password protect , Data encryption & Compression , Drive partioning , Portable email & Sync , No trace internet browsing , bootable + Free Lanyard & (Carry It Easy +Plus) worth 24.99,, takeMS Fast 4GB TINY HI Speed USB 2.0 SECURE Flash Drive Memory stick , password protect , Data encryption & Compression , Drive partioning , Portable email & Sync , No trace internet browsing , bootable + Free Lanyard & (Carry It Easy +Plus) worth 24.99,, GZ- 23 in 1 Memory Card Reader - with built in 3 port hub, Sandisk Image mate 5 in 1 card reader in retail packaging, External USB 2.0 Card Reader All in 1 SD,MS,MMC,CF,SM, takeMS Fast 8GB TINY HI Speed USB 2.0 SECURE Flash Drive Memory stick , password protect , Data encryption & Compression , Drive partioning , Portable email & Sync , No trace internet browsing , bootable + Free Lanyard & (Carry It Easy +Plus) worth 24.99,, SANDISK EXREME IV 2048MB CF WITH READER
A bit tacky
Hi. This mem card reader was easy to install. Do make sure you have a spare usb header on the motherboard though.Alas! After a successful installation with four removal drives being shown up on"My Computer", I went about downloading some capture pictures from my Compact Flash card. pushed the card in and whoop, it dissapeared into the housing of the multicard reader. I twiddled around trying to get the thing out with various tools, and in the end had to turn off the computer,take out the reader and open the reader up. I rescued my card, but had bent the flimsy contacts for the compact flash card. I bent em back and got my computer up and running again. Taking great care I managed to read my card.
You have to be really careful putting a compact flash card into this reader as it has no proper housing, meaning it is very easy to bend the contacts. The other ports looked a bit better. I am yet to try out them. I would not buy this hardware again!