Crucial Technology Introduces Flash Card Readers

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.crucial.com/media/Releases/cardreaders.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.crucial.com/media/Releas...cardreaders.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"Crucial Technology, a division of Micron and one of the world's largest direct memory upgrade providers, introduced today a new line of stationary and portable flash memory card readers<!> to complement its existing CompactFlash™ and MultiMediaCard™ flash memory line. Crucial’s new USB 1.1-compliant readers make it easy to transfer digital data from flash memory cards directly to a desktop computer or notebook.<br /><br />'Crucial’s card readers are the ideal way to shuttle data from your digital camera, digital music player, handheld computer, or other electronic device directly to your PC,' said Crucial Technology Product Marketing Manager Scott Heimgartner. 'Many of our customers use multiple electronic devices and multiple flash memory card formats in their home or professional life. Crucial's card readers host either single or multiple flash storage card formats, addressing the needs of the mobile professional and desktop user alike.' "<br /><br />I'm a big fan of Crucial quality, but USB 1.1? It seems a little strange to be introducing anything other than USB 2.0 at this point - what do you think? I know that USB 2.0 is hardly everywhere at this point, but if you were buying a USB memory card reader, wouldn't you want to buy a USB 2.0 device? Or is USB 1.1 fine for the next year or so?

[kagayaki1]

It seems to me to remain competitive in the market you would want to move to USB 2.0. Even if there is a large base out there still using USB 1.1, there is a strong market of people willing to pay a "premium" (slightly, I know) for the latest.

Perhaps they didn't want to invest the R&D, or, more likely, they got a huge discount on the modules. Very strange. If they really think this is the way to go, they better put them right in front of those most likely to have a little older computer. "That's it, right next to the gum at register 6..."

-Jason

[gorkon280]

I agree with you. There's no reason that they should be doing this. Even the USB to Serial Adapter I bought from Keyspan is now 2.0 (and it doesn't really need the extra speed ....it bottle necks cus of the speed limitation of Serial Ports.......). BTW, search Brighthand or go here

http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57817&perpage=15&highlight=Keyspan&pagenumber=13

and find instructions on how to get a Keyspan USB to Serial High Speed Adapter (USA-19QW or 19W) Running on a Pocket PC with USB host capabilities! Works on e740. Should work on others as well (as long as it's got a ARM or Xscale and USB Host Capability). It ROCKS! :rock on dude!:

[luebster]

Slightly off-topic, but when is someone going to make a card reader that reads CF, SD, and the new xD-Picture Disc?

There are standalone xD readers, but not a combo xD, CF, SD reader. Has anyone seen one?

[kwerner]

Agreed, why USB 1??? My guess is they are just buying and relabelling something that is already out there. Seems to be the trend these days, slap your logo on it and call it your own.

Why don't they make more multicard readers that will fit in a 3.5" drive bay??? I've got enough junk on my desk, I don't want more cables and boxes. There is only one or two that I have seen, TigerDirect carries one: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?sku=A128-2000 , but it's USB1.

What I really want is a 6 in 1, that is USB2, fits in 3.5" drive, and has feedthrough for one USB port and one Firewire port, available in black or white. Anyone seen one like that?

[CESkins]

Until portable media read/write speeds improves significantly, the speed gained by using a USB 2 reader will be modest for all but the fastest cards (which carry a premium in cost). Below is a quote of some analysis I did in response to a similar thread on BrightHand (http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68331).

Interesting observation. I just bought a Dazzle 6-in-1 reader that's USB1 (but all my ports are USB2). They included a card showing the read/write speeds of several brands of CF cards (Microtech, SanDisk, and Lexar). The fastest speeds for Microtech CF Type I card was 4,125 KB/s (~ 4 MB/s) read and 2,041 (~ 2 MB/s) KB/s write. USB 1 tops out at 12 Mbps (~ 1.5 MB/s). Thus for the fastest CF cards, you may see some improvement (~ 2-fold or 200%) with transfering data from the card and little improvement (33% increase) with transferring data to the card. That's only if you are using Lexar's or Microtech's faster CF cards. The slower SanDisk cards read/write speeds were 2.1 MB/s / 0.86 MB/s (these slower cards would see little to no improvement with the move to USB 2).

[kagayaki1]

Agreed, why USB 1??? My guess is they are just buying and relabelling something that is already out there. Seems to be the trend these days, slap your logo on it and call it your own.

Why don't they make more multicard readers that will fit in a 3.5" drive bay??? I've got enough junk on my desk, I don't want more cables and boxes. There is only one or two that I have seen, TigerDirect carries one: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?sku=A128-2000 , but it's USB1.

What I really want is a 6 in 1, that is USB2, fits in 3.5" drive, and has feedthrough for one USB port and one Firewire port, available in black or white. Anyone seen one like that?

I've never seen one that fits into the 3.5" drive and has BOTH USB 2.0 and Firewire. Very strange. Usually the company with the most options is Addonics, check it out! (http://www.addonics.com)

-Jason

[ironguy]

I saw a threads in one of the forums about this. They questioned if a compact flash could even taked advantage of USB 2. The fast cards out there only read about 4+Mbps, well within the usb 1 range.

USB 1.1 can transfer 12MBps while USB 2 a whopping 480 Mbps.

So if a card can only read 4MBPS, why do we need 480MBPS?

[Will T Smith]

Agreed, why USB 1??? My guess is they are just buying and relabelling something that is already out there. Seems to be the trend these days, slap your logo on it and call it your own.

Why don't they make more multicard readers that will fit in a 3.5" drive bay??? I've got enough junk on my desk, I don't want more cables and boxes. There is only one or two that I have seen, TigerDirect carries one: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?sku=A128-2000 , but it's USB1.

What I really want is a 6 in 1, that is USB2, fits in 3.5" drive, and has feedthrough for one USB port and one Firewire port, available in black or white. Anyone seen one like that?

Your wish is granted, though Newegg doesn't have them in stock right now.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?description=20-187-002

Another cool product:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduct.asp?description=21-110-001

[Jonathon Watkins]

Well, USB card readers are a 'bit' more future proof. When card speeds increase, we'll have the equipment ready to handel them. I do believe that USB 2 would give some speed advantage over USB 1.1 & I simply won't buy any USB 1.1 equipment unless there is no alternative. Crucial messed up here by going with USB 1.1. :evil:

[ctmagnus]

Well, USB card readers are a 'bit' more future proof. When card speeds increase, we'll have the equipment ready to handel them. I do believe that USB 2 would give some speed advantage over USB 1.1 & I simply won't buy any USB 1.1 equipment unless there is no alternative. Crucial messed up here by going with USB 1.1. :evil:

I concur.

[Janak Parekh]

I saw a threads in one of the forums about this. They questioned if a compact flash could even taked advantage of USB 2. The fast cards out there only read about 4+Mbps, well within the usb 1 range.
You're confusing megabits and megabytes. CF cards are capable of 4MBps, while USB 1 is 12Mbps or 1.5MBps. USB 1 is definitely the limiting factor here.

Admittedly, you're not going to get the full benefit of USB2; but "double" the speed is pretty darn significant, if you ask me.

--janak

[CESkins]

CF cards are capable of 4MBps, while USB 1 is 12Mbps or 1.5MBps. USB 1 is definitely the limiting factor here.

Admittedly, you're not going to get the full benefit of USB2; but "double" the speed is pretty darn significant, if you ask me.

Don't forget that benefit is only on the read side of the equation. When writing info to the card, the benefit of USB2 over USB1.1 is much smaller. You get a mere 0.3-fold increase in speed. I do as much writing to my cards as I do reading data from them.

[Janak Parekh]

Don't forget that benefit is only on the read side of the equation. When writing info to the card, the benefit of USB2 over USB1.1 is much smaller.
True for the most part, for now; as CF densities increase, I'd assume this will change. It does make a big difference for the Microdrive, which has very fast write speeds.

--janak