Customer Reviews

IOGEAR GFR201 USB 2.0 Compactflash Reader

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

What's Hot:
Cute design with great performance. Speedy! Easy to set up and use. No software installation needed for Windows 2000 and Windows XP system.

What's Not:
Draw power from external AC adapter instead of USB port directly. Bulkier then other card reader. Read CF cards only.

Overview:
.....I think this is a great product, especially with the rebate. It supports Compact Flash Type I & II cards. It uses USB 2.0/2.1 but is backward compatible to USB 1.1. Unlike many other CF readers with low limits on CF card capacity, this reader supports up to 1024 MB (a.k.a. 1 GB) memory cards. This product is definitely an investment because it is up to date on memory card technology. It's also Mass Storage Compliant, meaning it is automatically detected in Windows 2000, ME, and XP. You will have to install drivers with Windows 98.
.....I admit the instructions in the manual for installing the drivers were awful because they did not match the directories on the included CD. I tried choosing the drivers in the GFR201 directory like you would expect, but they didn't work. I emailed tech support for help and they sent me the drivers I needed. It looks the same as the drivers they list under the ION 2.5 / ION 98 directory on the CD so you might not have to email them. In the end it's worth the trouble.
.....Mac lovers will appreciate this product is supported for OS 8.6 and above. My fiance has a Mac so it's nice I can use the reader on a Mac and PC at the same time. It's not that mobile though, because it's a bit larger than pocket size and it has the power adapter. You have to admit it looks cool, and therefore more expensive than many of the other CF readers. The construction is pretty durable. It would have been nice to have a cover for the CF slot. 6' cable is definitely long enough to put the reader where you want it.
.....As for the power adapter, I think it's great. I don't know why others would have problems with it. Rather than coming down over outlets below it, it is made of a slimline design that comes out on the side. The adapter seems like a pain, but it ensures quality performance when transferring your data across the USB cable.

Pros:
.....USB 2.1 (480 Mbps transfer!)
.....Compact Flash Type I & II up to 1024 MB (1 GB)
.....Mass Storage Compliant
.....Win 98, 98SE, 2000, ME, XP and MAC OS 8.6 or greater
.....Innovative design and solid construction
.....6' USB cable
.....3 year warranty
.....Affordable

Cons:
.....Could use cover for slot
.....Not as portable as some other devices
.....Win 98 driver installation could be easier

Rebate:
.....Save[...]! You can find details on the IOGEAR website. [...]

This product claims to be supported on win98se. I installed the provided drivers, and still, nothing worked. I downloaded the most recent drivers from the iogear website, tried those, and still, didn't work. Meanwhile, these drivers screwed up my computer to the point where the display was wacky, and in general, it hasn't been the same since. I will be re-installing win98se from scratch this weekend to try to "undo" the damage done by this product/drivers.
Also, the instructions in the manual apparently did not pertain to the cd of drivers they sent me. :-(

Finally, I have to note that the box I received had obviously been opened and returned by someone else- I probably should have seen this as a sign of things to come!

So, if you have win98, look elsewhere. I bought the SanDisk ImageMate; it installed seamlessly, and works perfectly, and costs less than the IOGEAR solution, too.

used it for a week.. this thing is fast! i recommend for anyone with a 128mb cf or higher

The packaging is cute, the thing is supposed to be fast, etc., but hey -- I couldn't plug it in! The power adapter they shipped simply didn't fit -- it was about 2 sizes too big!

Tech support: "Hmm. Sorry about that."

It's on its way back first thing tomorrow.