Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Proporta 2GB SD/USB Card & Aluminum SD/SIM Card Holder
Posted by Judie Lipsett Hughes in "HARDWARE" @ 09:00 AM
Does Your SD USB?
Anyone who has ever loaded multiple music or photo files onto his or her Pocket PC is probably familiar with the ritual of removing the SD card from the PPC, plugging the card into a reader connected to his/her PC, and then doing the necessary file transfers. Along those same lines, anyone who has ever transferred photos from their camera's SD card to a computer has probably followed a similar process. Proporta has introduced a hybrid SD card that does away with the need for cables and adapters, and can instead be directly plugged into either a USB or SD port. This is a very clever idea, one that anyone who has ever misplaced or forgotten their card reader will appreciate.
Figure 1: The Proporta SD Card with built-in USB.[/i]
Otherwise sized exactly like a traditional SD card, the Proporta version has notches cut into the card's end to form a basic USB plug.
Figure 2: The business side of the SD / USB card.
The USB end of the card plugs directly into any USB port, and it will be immediately seen as removable storage. Files can be directly loaded or removed, via high speed USB 2.0 speeds, without the need for adapters or cables.
Figure 3: The card plugged into a USB port.
It seems a little bit odd the first time the SD / USB card is inserted in a SD slot, because the slot is no longer filled by the end of the SD card. Instead, there is now a slug in the middle of the slot with gaps on either side.
Figure 4: The card plugged in an SD slot.
Ejecting the SD card, whether it be from a camera or PDA is done the same way as with a full-size card: the bottom is pressed to activate the spring release. It seems a little strange at first, due to the smaller size of the end being pressed, but it quickly becomes normal.
Figure 5: The SD / USB card ejected.[/i]
Using a card reader at a desktop computer is not a huge inconvenience, but there are still plenty of laptops and UMPCs that don't have them. Being able to move data directly between one's laptop and camera, or laptop and Pocket PC without the need to carry extra gear is truly something for which any road warrior will be thankful. The only caveat is the price. The typical 2GB card is selling for around $40 or less, and this one is priced at nearly triple that amount. Only you can decide if the added convenience is worth the extra cost.
