Kingston 15 in 1 Card Reader Review

Evaluation (maximum rating is 5)

Positives

Drawbacks

Verdict

Alternatives

Introduction

The Kingston 15 in 1 USB 2.0 High-Speed Card Reader supports 15 types of flash memory cards in the four media ports located in the front of the device. The reader is powered by the USB cable, so no power supply is needed. With it's small size it works as well in the office as on travels. The reader is plug and play USB 2.0 or USB 1.1. When plugged in to a USB 2.0 interface the device is capable of a transfer rate up to 480Mbps, with USB 1.1 the device is capable of up to 12 Mbps.

Specifications

Included accessories: USB cable and user guide.

Size:3.46 x 2.19 x .63 (8.78 cm x 5.56 cm x 1.6 cm)

Weight: 0.112 lbs. (51g)

Connection: complies with USB 2.0 Hi-speed specification standards for up to 480 Mbps data transfer and backwards compatible with USB 1.1 specifications for up to 12 Mbps

Operating System Compatibility:

Windows 2000 (SP 3 and above)
Windows XP (SP1 and above)
Windows Vista
Mac OS X 10. and above

Supported Formats:

CompactFlash (CF) I and II
Secure Digital (SD)
Secure Digital High-Capacity (SDHC)
miniSD
microSD
MultiMediaCard(MMC)Version 3.1
MMCmicro (MMC adapter required)
MMCmobile (DV RS-MMC)
MMCplus (Version 4.0)
RS-MMC (Version 3.1)
Microdrive (CF Types II)
Memory Stick
Memory Stick PRO
Memory Stick PRO Duo
SmartMedia(with adapter)

Price from: $16.95 USD

Manufacturers web site: www.kingston.com

Positives

Price.
Speed.
Easy to use.

Drawbacks

The way the CF bay is constructed you have to be careful when inserting cards. It is possible to insert the CF card half way in the track, using too much force you can then damage the reader as well as the card.
In windows you get 4 removable devices listed. This can be annoying at times.

Verdict

If you use a lot of different memory cards, this is the reader for you. The read/write speed of the Kingston 15 in 1 card reader is really impressive. It is the fastest card reader I have tried so far(with CF cards). It's also one of the cheaper multi card readers on the market. With the price and the read speed of this device it's a good product, especially if you use a lot of different types of memory cards. If you only use CF cards, then a dedicated reader might be a better option for you.

Alternatives

Lexar 12-in-1 Multi-Card USB 2.0 Memory Card Reader. From: $23.95 USD

Belkin 15-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader. From: $33.95 USD

Sandisk 12-in-1, USB 2.0 Card Reader. From: $29.95 USD

Sony 17-in-1 USB 2.0 Card Reader. From: $29.95 USD

SIIG Hi-Speed USB 52-in-1 Card Reader. From: $39.95 USD

If you only need a CF reader Click here

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