Bridging The Flash Format Gap With Multi-Format Readers/ Writers – THG.RU

Bridging The Flash Format Gap With Multi-Format Readers/Writers

As portable devices that require flash memory continue to grow in popularity, so does the number and types of flash cards that are purchased for use with these products. I explored this issue previously in depth in my Rant-O-Matic column titled Flash Ca$h. One of the interesting results after this article appeared was the feedback that we received from readers requesting additional information on the Multi-Format Flash Card Readers/ Writers that we had mentioned in the article. This wasn’t really a surprise to us, as, like many of our readers, we have had our own challenges with multiple flash formats, and are always on the lookout for solutions to this.

We previously reviewed two MegaPixel digital cameras in our review Цифровые камеры: двухмегапиксельные монстры, and five MegaPixel cameras in our review Обзор четырёх 5-мегапиксельных камер. After that review was posted, it became clear that, due to the different flash memory formats these cameras use, the need for Multi-Format Flash Card devices is critical, and will continue to grow. No matter whether you own a couple of cameras (one for you and perhaps one for your significant other and/or kids) that use different formats, a camera and a MP3 player that use different formats, or maybe a camera, an MP3 player and a PDA that all use different formats, flash memory is everywhere, and it is here to stay. It is not going to stop with these examples, either; video cameras, home media devices, and even televisions are beginning to incorporate options for flash memory support.

How Many Flash Card Formats Are There?

In the Rant-O-Matic: Flash Ca$h column, I was previously somewhat negative over the many varieties of flash memory and the fact that they aren’t interchangeable. However, someone recently pointed out to me that the various flash memory formats are much like devices that require different sizes of batteries. Some devices use AA batteries, some devices use A batteries, some use C, D, and so on. The bottom line is that with all of the different form factors of these devices, manufacturers seeking a smaller form factor fit and/or less weight will look for and select a flash memory format that meets their requirements. And, some companies are committed to, and aligned with, certain flash format ‘camps,’ so these companies are exclusively committed to using one particular flash memory format that their ‘camp’ uses for most of their devices. Often, when a consumer purchases from a one particular brand or company, that purchase may unknowingly lock the consumer into a commitment to a particular flash module format.

When looking at things from the battery analogy perspective, the format brand ‘camps’ with varying formats are explainable. But the fact remains that it is inconvenient and expensive for various devices to use non-standard, multiple flash memory formats, and it seems ‘unfair’ for consumers to be forced to purchase multiple flash modules in different form factors, without any provision being made for interchangeability. Fortunately, the price of flash memory has stabilized, and may currently even be going down. If you are willing to carry multiple flash memory cards, some attractive prices are available for 16MB to 64MB cards.

But, I digress. What, then, are these flash memory formats?? Currently, flash memory formats include the following: CompactFlash Type I & II (CF), Microdrive (MD), SmartMedia (SM), Memory Stick (MS), MagicGate (MG), MultiMedia Card (MMC), Secure Digital (SD), PC Card Hard Drive, ATA Flash Card, and the new xD Picture Card (xD). We want to point out that the xD Picture Card format is so new that none of the devices we tested in this review even support xD. Additionally, Sony’s Memory Stick and MagicGate formats are supported in “Non-Secure” mode only by these Multi-Format reader/ writer devices.

As you can see from this picture, there are a wide variety of flash card formats. Kingston provides solutions for most of them, but does not currently offer Memory Stick or xD Picture Card products. As these products continue to grow in popularity, Kingston may add them. But in order to purchase flash memory at the most favorable prices, you should select a flash memory format that is supported/offered by the largest number of vendors.

As you can see from the list of flash formats above, there are many options, and depending on which marketing “hype” you believe, these devices can be marketed as six or eight format compatible devices. We think this is very confusing. If you are looking for the maximum in cross-format compatibility, the device you buy should, at a minimum, offer support for CompactFlash and SmartMedia, as these two formats appear to be the two predominate formats currently.

If you are a Sony fan, then Memory Stick/MagicGate format support will be important, as nearly all of Sony’s devices use this exclusive format. (Also, it is important to note that if you choose a device that uses the Memory Stick/MagicGate format, your options for price savings purchases will be limited as to available third-party Memory Stick/MagicGate modules. Only a select few companies offer third-party Memory Stick modules.)

Just when we thought we had seen the last introduction of flash card memory formats, the xD Picture Card appeared. Is this the last format flash card format? We have no idea. However, it is obvious that when a company can create a new “cash cow” by designing and deploying their own proprietary memory card format, as Sony has done with Memory Stick format, other companies will probably at least consider doing the same. While we do think that some of the less popular formats will fall out of favor over time, currently it appears to be a Multi-Format choice bonanza for flash card marketers.

The Evolution Of Multi-Format Readers/ Writers – Why?

Before we even evolved to the flash card reader/ writer units, most devices (such as a digital camera) connected directly to the PC via a serial or USB cable. This worked well when the size of the files was small, but with the advent of more robust devices and larger flash cards, file sizes have increased exponentially. Although some still continue to connect their devices directly to the PC via a serial or USB connection, the convenience of ejecting the flash card and plugging it into a flash card reader/ writer that is separate from the device is becoming more common, and perhaps even preferable.

While this is a viable solution, it can be more convenient to simply eject the flash card and plug it into the reader/ writer, instead of having to search for the cable to connect the camera.

Flash card manufacturers have capitalized upon the quantity of flash card formats, without a doubt. Many of these manufacturers have been producing new products that can handle a variety of flash card formats. Initially, these designs handled one, or maybe two formats, but they have since evolved to handle nearly all of the current available formats. As we have suggested above, if you have a variety of devices that use a variety of formats, Multiple-Format devices can offer a better solution.

The design of these units has evolved, as well. At first, the units were external desktop units that sat on a desk and connected to the computer via the USB interface. As file sizes and card sizes have increased and computer connections have evolved, devices that offer higher-speed connections, such as 1394 FireWire and USB 2.0, have begun to appear. While the number of devices that use either the 1394 FireWire or USB 2.0 interface is still rather small, we expect that number to increase substantially over time.

New ideas in the design of these units include “sleeve” technology, as featured in the Imation FlashGO!, and the internal bay mount design, as featured in the Atech Flash Pro II and Pro III devices. Atech Flash also has designed another unique approach with its new, optical USB mouse that features a reader/ writer built directly into the body of the mouse.

While these innovations continue, we can expect to see more of these devices becoming standard with computer systems as the use of flash memory continues to grow. Evidence of this is the variety of new notebooks/ laptops that include support for a flash card reader/ writer built directly into the unit. Perhaps the best example of this is Sony’s new Vaio that supports Memory Stick. Other vendors beyond Sony have now jumped on this bandwagon, as well, and we have even seen the Atech Flash Pro II bundled with computer systems.

While new form factors and faster interfaces will continue to be introduced, these are some of the major changes that you can expect to see in these devices looking ahead.

Does Performance Of These Devices Really Matter?

The performance of multi-format flash card reader/ writers is perhaps the one area where you can see some difference beyond just the form factor of these devices. As the sizes of flash cards and file sizes increase, extracting the picture/ files from the flash card can take a considerable amount of time.

The majority of the units that we tested use the USB 1.1 Interface, which has a performance cap of 12Mbps, USB 2.0 units, and offers a performance of 480Mbps, while 1394 FireWire offers a performance level of 400Mbps. Of course, the average consumer will not realize these kinds of transfer rates from flash memory products.

A variety of factors contribute to the transfer performance of flash memory products. Currently, the CompactFlash Card Format allows the most room for optimization in both flash memory and interface design performance. This was perhaps a by-product of the design of the specification, which is firmly rooted in the ATA world. For this reason, CompactFlash is used in most performance testing.

Lexar Media is probably currently best known in the flash memory arena for discussing the performance of its flash media. Lexar believes that higher performance flash modules are the key to speeding up both the read and the write times of flash memory which can be of great help to professionals who use products that can take advantage of this technology. And, in the case of a digital camera, this can provide the photographer the ability to take additional pictures more quickly or a series of pictures.

The chart below provides a look at the theoretical default transfer rate (defined as ‘Sequential Write Speed’) performance in KB per second or MB per second, depending on the format.

The “X” rating was first used in the marketing and branding of CompactFlash cards by Lexar Media. Lexar defines each “X” as 150KB per second. Other manufacturers have been slow to adopt this as a standard for rating the speed of their flash memory. Most agree that Lexar has done an excellent job in marketing the “X” factor. Although most companies claim that their CompactFlash modules are “high speed,” in most cases they do not define what that speed is. In a second article in this series, to be released within a few weeks, we will test a variety of CompactFlash modules to provide a better idea of what the real performance difference is among brands.

We wanted to get another view on the Lexar “X” rating, so we asked Mike Kuppinger, Kingston’s Digital Media Product Marketing Manager, to give us his thoughts on this subject.

As Kingston sees it, Lexar has created the X factor as their standard. This is not a standard adopted by the CompactFlash Association, but as you can see they have done a good job of positioning the X Factor as a speed indicator (CD Read/Write X = 150KB per second). This being said, the “actual” performance of the CompactFlash card has more to do with the function of the host controller in the device the Flash goes into, rather than the controller in the Flash card itself. For the most part, consumers using standard digital cameras and other devices will not realize/see the performance difference between a 12X and 20X Flash card. Those consumers who want a slight performance increase due to the nature of a project are in fact paying a 30-40% premium for a minimally faster card. Based on our research we categorize this customer at 5-10% of the flash market.

What we can see from the chart above is that the 24X CompactFlash offers the highest level of performance, with 3.6MB per second of throughput. The other formats are capped in such a way that speeding up the flash memory on these cards does not help gain additional performance. In order to realize the best performance from these Multi-Format Card Readers/ Writers, we tested them using CompactFlash media from two sources.

Many things can influence the performance of the CompactFlash media, such as the camera and the flash interface in the camera. The camera’s processor speed, hardware architecture, and flash card speed all contribute to the media’s overall performance. Of course, in the case of Multi-Format Readers, they can often times be far ahead of the performance of the typical camera (or other device) when reading data from the flash card or writing data to the flash card. As you can guess, many manufacturers don’t invest a lot of money in the flash interface; however, in the case of a camera, they may instead invest the money in the optics to try to achieve a cost effective price point. In the case of higher-end cameras (and other such high-end devices), these devices are often able to take better advantage of the additional performance offered by higher speed flash memory, but this is not always the case. Even high end “prosumer” cameras may not be able to take advantage of higher speed CompactFlash modules and in many cases only “Professional” cameras will gain any advantage by using the fastest modules possible. However, you can see a performance difference when using these high speed modules with a USB 2.0 or 1394 Firewire reader/ writer because of the increased bandwidth offered by these two interfaces.

To get the best performance from your flash memory, particularly when using large modules (128MB or greater) with a lot of data on them, using a faster module inserted into a card reader/ writer (with a fast interface such as USB 2.0 or 1394 FireWire) will yield the best performance. However, if you want to purchase a faster module to increase the performance of your camera, you may be disappointed due to the limitations of your camera (or other device). If your camera (or other device) or flash card reader can’t take advantage of the additional speed offered by the module, it will be a waste of your money to buy a higher speed module.

CompactFlash does offer the best performance of any of the flash media on the market today, but the numbers of devices that accept this format continue to dwindle. (Try to find a current MP3 player, for example, that uses CompactFlash!) CompactFlash is mainly found on higher-end cameras. Almost all of the professional series digital cameras use the CompactFlash format. Both Lexar and SanDisk offer high-end CompactFlash modules targeted for professional and consumer applications.

The Reviews – What Devices Did We Test?

We contacted companies whose products regularly compete in this arena. We asked for submissions from a variety of sources that either build or market Multi-Format flash card readers/ writers, and we received products for evaluation from Atech-Flash, Belkin, Carry, Imation, Kingston, PQI, and SanDisk. Several of the “usual suspects,” who shall remain unnamed (including at least two companies that we consider to be industry leaders) did not respond to our request to submit products for this review. (The sole reason we mention this lack of response is to head off – in advance – the reader inquiries we usually receive as to why a review of “X’s” or “Y’s” products weren’t included.)

As is customary in THG’s review process, each company was provided the same adequate amount of time to ship products to us for review; products that arrived after our previously published “hard” deadline were not considered for this review, out of fairness to the vendors who did submit products within our timeframe. We also did not review or consider any device that was submitted to us if it only supported a Single Flash card format, since this was not the focus of our review. For purposes of this review, we define “Multi-Format” as any device that supports, or is capable of supporting, at least three different flash card formats.

During the submission phase of the review process, we were puzzled by the lack of Multi-Format devices that support either USB 2.0 or 1394 FireWire. Only two devices were submitted to us that were Multi-Format and that also offer the high-speed performance of either USB 2.0 or 1394 FireWire. The USB 2.0 PQI – 6-In-1 Travel Flash Multi-Function Flash Drive submitted to us was, in fact, a final engineering preview sample. PQI is in production with the new USB 2.0 Travel Flash, and according to PQI, this product should be available shortly and should perform the same as the engineering sample that we evaluated. Carry submitted the only 1394 Multi-Format Flash Card Reader/ Writer that we have seen thus far, but distribution of this product is very limited, and it may or may not be available in your locale. Several companies asked us to review their Single Format USB 2.0 or 1394 FireWire flash card readers/ writers, but as mentioned above, we wanted to limit our review to Multi-Format devices, since there appears to be more reader interest in Multi-Format, rather than Single Format, devices. (If enough interest appears to exist in high-speed Single Format devices, we might review them later.)

When we questioned companies about the lack of USB 2.0 or 1394 FireWire support in their products, many of them replied that their products would likely be updated to support USB 2.0 in the near future. At least for now, however, if you want a high-speed Multi-Format device, your options are somewhat limited. If you want high-speed Interface support and are using only two formats, you might want to consider purchasing two Single Format devices; but our information indicates that more USB 2.0 Multi-Format devices will be on their way before too long.

Atech-Flash – Pro II & Pro III – Multi-Slot Card Reader

Atech has been on the radar screen at THG for some time now, due to the innovative form factor that the Atech Pro II Multi-Slot Card Reader offered. Ever since we caught a glimpse of an early prototype of the product at last year’s Comdex, we liked the idea of being able to install the Pro II into any 3-1/2 bay. The option of installing the flash card reader/ writer into the case was one we had not seen previously. In an effort to reduce the amount of clutter around your desk area and to take advantage of the USB ports that are offered on many motherboards, the Pro II and the newer Pro III offer a solution that is very unique. The Pro II or Pro III can be used as an external device as well, but the internal case mounting ability is what makes this product shine.

The Pro II offers support for all of the major flash memory card formats, while the Pro III offers the addition of support for Memory Stick and a front-mounted, 4-pin 1394 FireWire port. These are the only real differences between the two units.

Once installed and connected to your USB port, the Pro II/Pro III will appear in the devices manager as separate drives per flash card slot. This arrangement makes it very handy to copy data among flash card formats, should the need arise. The Pro II/III is directly supported under Windows XP, while Windows 98, 2000, and ME require the use of a driver for full support.

Yes, the Pro II and Pro III are available in colors other than silver. Black and beige are also on Atech’s menu, so it is easy to match the color and look of your case and other drive devices.

Atech is moving toward phasing out the Pro II in favor of the newer Pro III model, which should come as no surprise, since the Pro III is mostly an upgraded Pro II. The Pro III is available in a variety of faceplate colors to match your case. The faceplate on our test unit was sliver, but black and beige are also available.

The performance of the Pro II/Pro III was the same in our testing, and in line with the other USB readers/ writers. We encountered no problems with the Pro II/III in our testing and found it to be an excellent solution, and perhaps by far the most integrated solution. A new updated version of the Pro III (it may be labeled as Pro IV) is currently in development, which will offer USB 2.0 support; however, no additional release information was available from Atech, but several sources indicate that you might see this updated product before the end of the year.

Belkin – 8-in-1 Media Reader & Writer – F5U148

The Belkin F5U148 8-in-1 USB Media Reader & Writer.

Belkin continues to break new ground in its continuing development of new USB devices. The F5U148 8-in-1 Media Reader & Writer is one the newest USB devices to come from the labs at Belkin. Belkin’s ongoing strategy of offering new, cost-effective niche products, in addition to their known mainstream products, will continue to keep them in the forefront.

The F5U148’s claim that it supports the incredible number of eight formats might boggle the mind. We explored this claim further, and discovered that Belkin was counting some formats twice. For example, Belkin counts Memory Stick and MagicGate Memory Stick as two formats; but, in fact, they are two formats that use the same form factor and same slot on the reader. While the number of formats may be subject to interpretation, we thought this double counting was somewhat over the top. The F5U148 does support all of what we define as six major formats: CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrive, SmartMedia, SD (Secure Digital), MMC (MultiMediaCard), and Memory Stick.

A close up look at the F5U148. The additional bundled software does add to the F5U148’s value.

Belkin chose an external design for the unit that is compact, but not so small that you will have problems using it. The F5U148 is set at an angle, like many of the other Belkin products, which in this case actually aids in inserting and removing flash memory cards. The F5U148 is light, and will usually require that you hold the base of the unit down while removing the flash memory cards. The appearance of the unit, while not as flashy as some might prefer, is very neutral and will fit in with most PC color schemes.

Unlike all of the other products in this review, the F5U148 includes an excellent bundle of software from Ulead with the unit. Ulead’s Photo Express and Cool 360 are bundled with the unit, and for Mac users, includes Photo Explorer. Belkin is the only company to offer additional software with their card reader/ writer. If you happen to already have these programs from a previous purchase, then this will not matter much to you, but this package includes some great programs with which to get your feet wet. Of course this bundled software is reflected in the cost of the product.

The F5U148 is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and offers Mac support, as well. Once connected, the unit will indicate three drive devices representing each of the slots on the unit. The connection of the F5U148 to our test system had no problems. The manual offered with the F5U148 is a combination manual that covers all five of Belkin’s media reader/ writer family. We found the manual to be average, but still better than the manuals and documentation offered by most of the other units.

The F5U148 performed well and we encountered no problems with the unit. We liked this unit and feel it is a good buy, particularly if you include value of the software in the purchase price. We have seen the F5U148 discounted, so you might be able to find it some places at a rock bottom price; however, if you only need the reader/ writer, other sources can provide less expensive solutions while offering the same performance.

Carry – FISDMC – IEEE 1394 6-In-1 Card Reader/ Writer

The Carry 1394 6-In-1 Flash Card Reader/ Writer.

The Carry FISDMC 1394 6-In-1 was the only Multi-Format Flash Reader/ Writer submitted for testing. We found this to be unusual, since a number of 1394 FireWire Single Drive CompactFlash units already exist. To compound the problem, the availability of the Carry unit is ‘spotty,’ depending on your locale, thus, finding the unit may be a challenge.

The FISDMC 1394 6-In-1 has a very strange design. The right-hand side of the unit is for the CompactFlash and Microdrive cards, while its top has connections for other flash formats that the unit provides. This would not be a bad design, if the 1394 cable was not required to be plugged into the left side of the unit. The 1394 6-In-1 is designed to be turned and operated sideways, but we are still puzzled by the metal stand that connects to the bottom, which appears to serve no purpose at all, at least from what we could see. The 1394 6-In-1 was the largest of all of the units that we tested, and its design and appearance are best described as rather bizarre. While the unit is portable, it would not be our choice to carry around, due to its large size.

Although the design of the unit is a bit strange with the flash card connections on the top and side, it was the only 1394 Multi-Format reader/ writer that we were able to test and review.

The unit itself does require power, a 6-pin FireWire connection. What is unique, however, is that Carry has developed a slick 4-pin to 6-pin converter that allows you to connect the unit to a 4-pin FireWire port and then connect the split cable to the USB port. With this arrangement, the unit is able to draw its power from the USB port, while being connected via the 4-pin FireWire port. This was the first time we have seen this design, and it will come in handy if you happen to own a device (such as a notebook) that only allows for 4-pin FireWire connections.

The 1394 6-In-1 is basically plug and play. Once connected to the FireWire port on the computer, one drive will be mapped to each of the flash card ports on the unit. The documentation that comes with the unit covers the connection to your computer, but it is very basic and not very helpful beyond the obvious. The 1394 6-In-1 is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and offers Mac support as well, which is nice if you happen to need the unit to do double duty on both systems. The quality of construction of the unit is good, and we didn’t encounter any snags during the setup or use of the unit.

The 1394 6-In-1 provided the best scores during our testing and, without a doubt, was highly capable of delivering performance due to its 1394 connection to the computer. We liked the unit’s performance; however, from an aesthetics point of view, it just didn’t make the grade. The 1394 6-In-1 performed well, and we recognize it as the best Multi-Format flash card reader/ writer that is currently available with 1394 support. Carry might want to consider a redesign of the outside of the unit to make it a little more attractive; in fact, the current outside appearance may be holding sales of this unit back. Also, the 1394 6-In-1 performance comes at a price, which makes this unit the most expensive unit we tested.

Imation – FlashGo! Flash Memory Reader/ Writer – IMN-USB-FG1

The Imation IMN-USB-FG1 FlashGO! provides one of the most innovative solutions on the market today. Although it was introduced last year, it still holds up well against the new competition.

Imation isn’t a name that you might associate with a product like this, but as we found out from them last year when we met with them at Comdex, they are aggressively moving into new areas. The FlashGO! is a result of Imation expanding its offerings beyond normal storage products. The FlashGO! happens to be one of the first Multi-Format flash card devices that we had seen. Now, the field is even more open as more products begin to enter this product arena.

Imation is the only company to use what we term a “compatibility sleeve” concept. The FlashGO! Unit can support CompactFlash Types I & II and Microdrive; however, with the use of adapter sleeves, it can be expanded to support SD, MMC, SM, and MS/MG by inserting the correct sleeve into the base FlashGO! Unit, and then inserting the correct module.

The “compatibility sleeve” concept gives the FlashGO! an edge that other manufacturers have not been able to duplicate; other manufacturers have tried by adding the additional slots to their reader/ writer. While the “sleeves” do provide one more thing to have to carry around, the ‘up’ side is that you only have to take the ones that you are going to use with you.

The FlashGO! is a small unit that isn’t much bigger than two CompactFlash cards stacked on top of each other. The included cable can be used to connect the FlashGO! to USB ports in hard-to-reach locations, or simply to make access to the FlashGO! easier.

The FlashGO! offers both PC and MAC compatibility, and in the one year plus period of time that we have used this unit, it has operated problem-free. That said, newer solutions are available that offer the same compact portability as the FlashGO!, but do not require you to carry along sleeves for total compatibility.

While the FlashGO! is still a great performer and fared well in our testing, you might be able to find another unit that offers the portability of the FlashGO! for less money. Still, we have seen some good deals on the FlashGO! and this unit’s reliability is a big plus. If you can find it for less than the suggested retail price of $59.99 US, it is worth considering the FlashGO!, but for the full retail price of the FlashGO! you can get an equivalent product for less money.

Kingston – 6-In-1 Media Reader/ Writer – FCR-U26/1

The Kingston FCR-U26/1 offers a clean external design. It doesn’t offer flashy packaging, as do some of the other units, but it still is a good value for the price.

Kingston has been offering the FCR-U26/1 6-In-1 Media Reader/Writer for some time now. Kingston has focused on flash media as an additional area where it can flex its legendary reputation for offering quality products. While many consumers probably are unaware that Kingston offers anything beyond its memory products, Kingston offers a complete line of flash card readers/ writers. This is Kingston’s first Multi-Format offering.

The FCR-U26/1 was packed in a nondescript, regular brown packing box, in contrast to the fancy retail packaging that normally is a part of Kingston’s products. When we opened the box, we found the FCR-U26/1, a small instruction leaflet, and a driver disk that is required by some operating systems. The instructions leaflet was a bit on the ‘light’ side as far as content, but it did provide sufficient information to get the unit connected to the computer. Like the other devices that we have reviewed here, the FCR-U26/1 supports all of the major formats and is available as removable drives within Windows.

The size of the unit is good for an external desktop model. The FCR-U26/1 has a rubberized foot on the bottom of the unit which helps keep it from moving around during the media loading and unloading process. While the foot helps reduce the movement of the unit during the loading process, we still had to hold the unit to remove media from it.

The testing performance of the FCR-U26/1 was average and in line with other USB units we tested. We liked the styling of the FCR-U26/1 and its construction appears to be of good quality. If you are looking for a desktop external multi-format reader/ writer, the Kingston FCR-U26/1 is a plausible choice; however, there are other less expensive options, and the price factor could cause consumers to overlook this otherwise excellent unit.

PQI – 6-In-1 Travel Flash Multi-Function Flash Drive – USB 1.1

The PQI 6-In-1 Travel Flash is available from several sources in clone versions.

PQI has been active in the flash reader/ writer market for some time. The Travel Flash is their standard 6-In-1 portable device. PQI designed the Travel Flash, and is the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) for other versions of this product that you may see. While much of the technology in this product can be found in similar products of this type, PQI is clearly one of the leaders, although consumers may not recognize their name in this market space. Although it might be a tad more difficult to find the PQI branded product, other similar Travel Flash looking units should perform the same.

The Travel Flash offers a very compact design. While not as small as the Imation FlashGO!, the smallest unit that we reviewed, the Travel Flash isn’t much bigger than two CompactFlash modules sitting side by side. The Travel Flash is housed in a sliver plastic casing, and includes a protective leather sleeve for when the unit is not in use.

A close-up look at the PQI Travel Flash. As you can see in this picture, it isn’t much bigger than two CompactFlash cards sitting side by side.

The Travel Flash is light and compact, and is clearly targeted at mobile users and/or users who need to use the unit on more than one system. The Travel Flash supports all of the major formats. We liked its compact design, and found it light, small, and easy to stuff into a laptop bag.

The Travel Flash connects to the USB port using a short USB cable that stores nicely in the back of the unit to keep it out of the way when the unit is not in use. PQI also includes a USB extension cable for use with the Travel Flash (when you need to connect the Travel Flash to the back of a computer, as an example) when the small built-in cable is too inconvenient.

Once connected to the computer, the Travel Flash appears as three drives in the device manager, one for each of the slots on the unit. This is fairly similar to the other devices that we tested. Upon connecting the unit to our Windows XP test system, the device was recognized and ready for use. The Travel Flash offers compatibility with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP and also Mac.

We liked the design, performance, and price of the Travel Flash. With a suggested retail price of $29.00 US, it was the lowest priced 6-In-1 unit that we tested. The Travel Flash appears solid and is very portable, making it an excellent choice for the on-the-go mobile user.

PQI Travel Flash Flash Drive – USB 2.0

This is the Final Engineering Sample of the new USB 2.0 version of the Travel Flash from PQI.

The team at PQI inquired whether we wanted to take an exclusive first look at their new USB 2.0 version of the Travel Flash, and we were more than happy to do so. PQI told us that the version that they were supplying us was a final engineering sample, and that they had already started production of the same product with the only change being the look of the case, we were anxious to find out how much of a performance increase we could expect from a PQI USB 2.0 device.

The USB 2.0 version of the Travel Flash is the same as the regular version of the Travel Flash. Nothing much changed outside from the original Travel Flash to the new version, at least from what we could see.

The USB 2.0 version of the Travel Flash performed quite well and offered the same great features as the original Travel Flash. What was different was the significant performance boost gained from the new USB 2.0 interface. Naturally, the faster your flash card is, the better your performance will be, but you will definitely notice a difference with the USB 2.0 interface. We tested the unit’s backward compatibility and found it to perform as well as the original Travel Flash when connected to a slower USB 1.x port.

We consider the USB 2.0 version of the Travel Flash to be an excellent product that offers quite speedy performance. If you are using large flash cards and have the USB 2.0 interface to take advantage of the performance enhancement this product offers, along with the best portable solution, the USB 2.0 will be an excellent choice to consider when it is available for retail sale.

SanDisk – ImageMate Dual Card Reader – SDDR-73-07 & SDDR-75-07

The SanDisk SDDR-73-07 and SDDR-75-07 offers three format Multi-Format card readers. SanDisk is in the process of updating their Flash Card Reader/ Writer offerings.

SanDisk is often referred to as the “Father” of mass marketing of Flash Memory. While this might not be totally accurate, SanDisk has had a significant effect on the direction and the development of flash memory technology for a long time. SanDisk is clearly a leader in providing flash memory modules, and it is no surprise that they have taken their expertise and applied it to the development of a variety of flash card readers/ writers.

When we first contacted SanDisk about this review, they seemed excited to participate, but at the same time we detected a note of sadness. We discovered that the sadness came from the fact that their new ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0 Reader/ Writer would not be ready in time for this review. With the ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0’s slick looking design and very cool-looking docking station, it looks to be an excellent unit to check out when it is available this November. Hopefully, we will be able to evaluate one of these soon so that we can give you the full scoop on this new product.

We could not resist this chance to show you the ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0 because of its cool look. We think SanDisk’s innovative idea of moving to a docking station could be the missing link to bridge the gap between portability and external usefulness. We will have to wait for SanDisk to release it in November to take a more thorough look at it.

In the meantime, the show must go on, and SanDisk asked us to take a look at their ImageMate products. At first glance, we were not sure that the SDDR-73-07 and the SDDR-75-07 would meet our review criteria of being able to support at least three formats, but we are happy to report that each does, in fact, support three formats. The SDDR-75-07 and the SDDR-73-07 are nearly the same units, except for the difference in the top slot in each unit.

The SDDR-75-07 supports CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrive, and SmartMedia, while the SDDR-73-07 supports CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrive, MultiMedia Card, and Secure Digital Media.

A close-up look at the SDDR-75-07, which supports CompactFlash Type I and II, Microdrive, and Smart Media formats. Quality of construction and a unique shape are two of the trademarks that you will find in SanDisk’s offerings.

The ImageMate is a very compact unit, with an attractive rounded design. The ImageMate has its short USB cable attached to the unit and this cable is able to be tucked into a groove that surrounds the bottom of the unit. This makes it easy to store the cable, should you want to take the ImageMate on a road trip. SanDisk does include an extension cable for situations where the built-in cable is too short.

The unit includes a single, long rubber foot on the bottom of the unit to prevent it from sliding around a desk. While this solution proved to work better than the Kingston unit, the ImageMate still had to be grasped and held in place to insert or remove the flash cards from the unit due to their close fit.

The ImageMate offer three lights on the unit. Two of the lights toward the front of the unit indicate that a card is mounted in the slot, while the light in the rear indicates that the unit is ready for use. Beyond these lights, the unit is rather plain except for the large red SanDisk logo on the top of the unit.

The ten-page user’s manual that arrived with the ImageMate, which covers the entire ImageMate series, was the best when compared to all of the other product user manuals that we received. We were very impressed by the amount of information in the ImageMate-included manual, and would like to see a manual of this quality and scope included with other units. The ImageMate is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, as well as Mac.

We found the ImageMate to be an excellent product. It offers a good introduction for the novice user, but it is robust enough for the expert who does not need the flexibility that a 6-In-1 device offers. The ImageMate has an attractive price point at $29.95 US, as well as wide availability, that you might not find with other units.

Bonus Review: Atech-Flash – PRO-Mouse – MS-AFT1 & MS-AFT2

The Atech PRO-Mouse concept is, perhaps, the most innovative of the solutions that we looked at in this review.

Atech sent us their new PRO-Mouse MS-AFT1 and MS-AFT2 to look at in this review, as well. The defined review format didn’t really fit what we were after, but after some discussion with Atech, we agreed to test the PRO-Mouse MS-AFT2 along with the other devices in this review.

Although we show you a picture of both the PRO-Mouse MS-AFT1 and MS-AFT2, only the MS-AFT2 was tested in our review, due to the fact that our baseline testing required a unit that supports CompactFlash. One of the agreed upon conditions of our review of this product was that we would not be reviewing the mouse itself beyond its cosmetic appearance; thus, this is a review of the card reader/ writer functionality of the MS-AFT2, not an review of the entire mouse.

The MS-AFT2 is an innovative solution, to be sure. The MS-AFT2 combines the convenience of a three-button optical wheel mouse and a Multi-Format flash card reader/ writer into one attractive package. And, while it might sound like a match made in heaven, it isn’t without encountering a few bumps in the road.

The MS-AFT2 is innovative, and it really doesn’t get in the way of the mouse. However, you have to admit that its appearance is a little odd.

The construction of the mouse itself is good, and follows in the Atech tradition of high quality. However, in order to add two card slots to the MS-AFT2, the mouse has a higher and longer slope than many other mice on the market. This will likely lead to some user ‘training’ time to adapt to the different feel of the mouse.

When a CompactFlash card is inserted into the CompactFlash slot on the bottom of the mouse, it hangs outside a little. This presented a very big problem, as the corners of the CompactFlash module thus dig into the edge of your hand while using the mouse. No matter how hard I tried, I simply did not adapt well to the feel of using this mouse with this CompactFlash card inserted into it. It was just uncomfortable… no way around it. If you have a smaller hand than mine, this might be less of an issue, but I found that I had to remove the card from the mouse before using it, and if this is the case for many users, a mouse with a protruding CompactFlash card is clearly a disadvantage.

Performance of the MS-AFT2 was good, although we noticed that the unit seemed to generate some heat when the CompactFlash slot was in use. And, speaking of the CompactFlash slot, it is important to note that because it sits so low and close to the mousing surface, it is possible that dust and other desk debris could enter the mouse through this opening. That is a no-no, and not a possibility that we like at all.

Overall, we found the performance of the MS-AFT2 to be satisfactory, but based on the fact that I was physically uncomfortable using the mouse, I cannot recommend it. The fact that I had to remove the flash card from the mouse in order to make it comfortable to use is a serious drawback. If you like the concept of the MS-AFT2, our suggestion is that you demo it first with the card inserted to see if you like it, or purchase it from a store that offers a reliable product return policy. We do admit however, that the suggested retail price of $49.99 US makes the combination of a Multi-Format flash card reader and an optical mouse an attractive option, if you can adjust to the physical presence of the flash card inserted in the mouse. Just as a side note, Atech is aware of this problem and says that they have a new redesigned version of the PRO-Mouse that is coming soon which will address these issues and solve the problems that we experienced in this review. You should expect the revised version of the PRO-Mouse to be introduced before the end of the year.

How We Tested Them

To test the performance of each of the units, we assembled a variety of JPG files taken with our Canon PowerShot G2 camera. The pictures were taken in a variety of resolutions in order to mix up the file sizes being read and written to the flash card. This was a total number of 397 files with a total size of 254 MB.

In order to account for performance differences among flash cards, we selected two flash cards for use in our testing. The first was the Lexar 12X 256MB CompactFlash Card, Lexar Part Number 2174 Revision A, and the second was the Crucial/Micron 256MB CompactFlash Card, Crucial Part Number CT256MBC1. We selected these two cards at random, not based any previous performance testing.

We first recloned the system with a fresh Windows XP image. We then installed the drive for testing. Once the drive was installed, we made sure that all caching options for the drive were disabled. We then did a fresh long format of the Lexar test card. Next, we copied our test files to the card using script and timed the results until the write was completed. Then, we copied all of the files from the test card back to the hard drive. After these tests were completed, we repeated the identical process, this time using the Crucial/Micron test card. We repeated this process three times, looking for any possible differences among the results. Once we were sure that the results were consistent, we assigned a read and write score in minutes and seconds to the unit for both the Lexar and Crucial/Micron test cards.

After we were done with the unit, and we obtained the scores that we needed, we again recloned the system and began the identical process yet again. Each unit was tested with a fresh load of the system, and all devices were connected to our Adaptec DuoConnect AUA-3121 on the same USB or FireWire port.

Realize that testing under Windows would not be the most efficant way to test the performance of CompactFlash Media because of the large amount of overhead that Windows, USB, and 1394/FireWire have. However, for our testing purposes, we are just looking at the raw performance of the multi-format flash card reader in the enviorment in which it is used. This is not a performance test on CompactFlash modules that were used in the testing.

Test System Configuration

Performance Comparison Results

The performance results are given in minutes and seconds, and of course less is better.

As you can see here in the Crucial write preformance test, the Carry and PQI Travel Flash USB 2.0 readers are almost 50% faster than standard USB readers. The Carry is slightly faster, which is a surprise, because we would have thought that the USB 2.0 devices would be ahead, but still it is very close. In the USB camp, the Belkin turned in the best time out of all of the others reviewed on this test. Still the gap between the fast and slowest USB reader was only a few seconds.

In the Crucial Read performance test, the Carry and PQI Travel Flash USB 2.0 readers again are the class of the field due to their higher connection bandwidth. In the USB camp, the things were again very close, but the Atech Pro III came out on top.

The Lexar Write performance test was again a runaway success for the Carry and PQI Travel Flash USB 2.0. The Carry once again is in the lead, but only by a mere seven seconds. In the USB camp, the Belkin was the class of the field finishing at just under six minutes, which was only one second quicker than the SanDisk.

In the Lexar Read Performance test, the Carry and the PQI Travel Flash 2.0 continued to put the smack down on the rest of the field. The Carry won every test that we could throw at it. We can only guess that 1394/FireWire drivers or protocol might be a little more efficiant or have less overhead than the USB 2.0 drivers or protocol. In the USB camp, the Atech Pro III was able to best the USB field in this test.

Conclusion – Lots Of Good Choices & Three Clear Winners

After completing all of our testing, a few facts were clear. The performance difference between the standard USB units was very close, and not until we made the jump to either the USB 2.0 or 1394 FireWire interface did the scores really start to fall. As we have pointed out in this review, the choice of reader/ writer, as well as flash card, can also influence the performance results. More investigation needs to be done on the specific performance of CompactFlash modules in general, and we will tackle that topic in our next article on CompactFlash module performance that is coming in a few weeks.

Now, to announce the winners and award our Editors’ Choice Award. We were relatively pleased with the performance of all of the units that we reviewed, except for the PRO-Mouse. It was not that the PRO-Mouse didn’t perform adequately, it was a design issue that caused us not to like the PRO-Mouse. Three units really caught our attention, and those are the three that we selected. Each of these units addresses a certain segment of the market, which is why we felt that it was best to select one product for the portable space, one product for the value space, and one for overall Editors’ Choice.

In the portable flash card reader/ writer space, we recommend the PQI Travel Flash. The PQI Travel Flash offers the most compact design with the greatest number of features. We also give the Imation FlashGO! an honorable mention as still one of the leaders in this product space, but having to carry all of the compatibility sleeves that the FlashGO! requires ultimately became the deciding factor between the winner and honorable mention. Since the PQI Travel Flash USB 2.0 is not currently shipping, we elected not to award it an Editors’ Choice at this time.

In the value segment, competition was tight, with several units making the grade. However, when it was all said and done, we have to recommend the SanDisk SDDR-75-07/SDDR-73-07. SanDisk’s well-thought-out design and excellent user manual pushed it ahead by a nose. We also give an honorable mention to Belkin with the F5U148, which, like many Belkin products, can be found on sale at retail prices that are near the SanDisk SDDR-75-07/SDDR-73-07.

Our choice for overall Editors’ Choice goes to the Atech Pro III. The internal mounted design of the Atech continues to impress us. With excellent performance and a good feature set, the Pro III seems to present a more practical approach than many of the other devices tested, because the unit doesn’t move around when inserting or removing cards (and this proved to be one of the things that we didn’t like about a number of the other units). Although the Atech Pro III is still on the pricey side, you might be able to find a good deal on the Atech Pro II unit (which performed as well as the Pro III, and you only have to give up the Memory Stick and FireWire port support). Overall, the Atech Pro III looks good and gets the job done with style. Still we dream of having the Pro II/Pro III design with USB 2.0 or 1394/FireWire interface, that of course would be the ultimate design in this product space.

Our first look at Multi-Format flash card readers/ writers was an education. Perhaps some of the most innovative designs are on the horizon with the introduction of new models that will take advantage of USB 2.0. While the Carry 1394 product clearly outperformed the rest of the products in our testing results, Carry’s product distribution issues, as well as its high suggested retail price, are currently holding it back. It is clear that you can transfer more data more quickly if you have the right combination of products, and perhaps the next question to explore is when these new products will be available in the right combinations for purchase. If the new SanDisk ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0 product is any indication, the best is yet to come in this product segment.

Quick Guide To Format Support Comparison & Connection Interface