SanDisk ImageMate 12-in-1 USB 2.0 Flash Memory Card Reader SDDR-89-A15 by SanDisk
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Digital camera reviews of SanDisk ImageMate 12-in-1 USB 2.0 Flash Memory Card Reader SDDR-89-A15
Digital camera Review: Economical solution
Summary: 4 Stars
I use four different types of memory cards at my workplace. This reader is very inexpensive and of reasonable quality. I have replaced it with the exact same model one time in a little over 18 months. REMEMBER I USE MINE A GREAT DEAL EACH DAY. I think it is a good buy and will continue to replace my worn out models with this one as long as it's available.Digital camera Review: Exactly as advertised
Summary: 5 Stars
Not too much to say, this thing works exactly as it is supposed to, requires no drivers, and is fast and effective at moving data off all types of memory media. It is great to have the ability to read any memory card; this device reads just about any type of media that you are likely to see in any consumer camera.
Just a note, when connected, this device will add 4 drive letters to your system (for all the different types of media). Not a negative, but some of the techies out there may want to know.
Digital camera Review: Excellent card reader
Summary: 5 Stars
This card reader reads numerous varieties of cards, and is priced cheaper than other readers that read only one or two types. Hookup was a cinch, and it works flawlessly. Try to find anything else on the market that will read the Memory Stick Pro Duo, and you will know what I mean.Digital camera Review: Excellent card reader! Works well for a Macintosh! Plug and play! Time trial results...
Summary: 4 Stars
Ordered this on Tuesday, asked for the free super saver shipping, was supposed to ship in a week, received it only 2 days! So 10 stars to amazon for its amazingly fast free shipping service!
Now, as to the reader... I subtracted a star not because of the short accessory USB cable (that could be viewed as a plus for travel as others have pointed out), but because the darn thing is wobbly! The pedestal it sits on has too small a base and the grips aren't very good. The consequence is that the unit is top heavy with the card reader in it! Gently hit it and the thing falls over!
The yellow LED light is also too big and bright and angled just to hit your eyes, so that's a contributing demerit. (I'll probably use some black electrical tape to mask most of it.) As some have noted as well, you do have to position a card just so for it fit in-- but I guess that means things are snug. Oh, also the slots are labelled, but they're in tiny print and the text is upside down when the reader is in its pedestal-- so you have to pick the thing up and hold it horizontal. (If you're unsure what I mean, look at the picture!) It almost could have worked better having it be designed with feet on the horizontal bottom of the unit and even skipping the pedestal (though I'm sure some like that because of desk space--but at only 3 3/4" wide anyway, it wouldn't take much room at all!).
Finally, under the category of flaws, the packaging is that horrible molded plastic with sealed edges that requires scissors to open and which results in jagged & sharp edges that are frankly an accident waiting to happen. We really need European packaging & recycling laws... so we could return this ridiculous packaging to the company at their expense... shame on Sandisk for using it.
Except for the last one, these are all really nit-picks that add up to the loss of a star. On the plus side, it has a short but sweet manual and works fine even attached to an unpowered 4 port hub!
But how does it work? And would I buy it again? Incredibly well and absolutely yes. All the glowing reviews were right on target.
At first I was concerned because when I put a memory stick into it (my main reason for getting it--that and to replace 2 dedicated readers, one for Compact Flash and one for SD cards), it seemed to transfer the card's files slowly.
WINTER OLYMPICS...
So, I decided to time an SD transfer, comparing the speed of my Palm SD card reader vs. this 12-in-1. My 256 meg SD card, Panasonic brand, has 730 items on it taking up 172.6 megs. I decided to have the Palm reader go first, so that if there were any advantages, say caching the first run, unlikely, it would help the 12-in-1.
TIME TRIALS RESULTS:
Well the competition was incredible. A good run up to the Winter Olympics. Here are the specs for the 2 consecutive trials. At the 2 minute mark, the Palm reader had transfered 95 megs compared to 92.7 for the 12-in-1. At the 3 minute mark, it was an absolute dead heat. The 12-in-1 then snatched the gold right with an incredible burst at the end, completing the 172.6 meg transfer in 3 minutes 50 seconds compared to 4 minutes and 3 for the Palm reader. [Just out of curiosity, I timed the memory stick transfer today... A Lexar 128 meg stick, with only 51.8 megs took a sluggish, turtle-like 3 miniutes and 31 seconds in the 12-in-1. Not likely a fault of the Sandisk; suggests instead that memory sticks have much slower transfer rates!]
I looked and looked for a multi-card reader with good reviews that worked well. This fits the bill. Can't wait to do the card to card transfer! So, buy it, you won't be disappointed.
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Well, it's now October and I discovered a REAL PROBLEM! The darn thing can't read a Lexar 512mb Memory Stick Pro card! My Clie reads it fine, but the card reader shows nothing! In reviewing the comments here, I see that someone else found a similar problem with it and Lexar MS Pro cards!! BAD, SANDISK, VERY VERY BAD.
I WOULD DOWNGRADE THIS A COUPLE OF STARS AS A RESULT!
Digital camera Review: Excellent option for basic reading
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an excellent card reader for its class. I use it to download photos from my camera card and it worked well with good speed.