Customer Reviews

Kingston 256 MB Secure Digital Card ( SD/256 ) (Retail Package)

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

If you are looking at buying SD or CF cards, realize that all the main brands and even some second tier (like KINGMAX) work equally well. They all use the same technology and they all have about the same chance for problems. The thing is, 95% of buyers of ANY of these brands will have NO problems and they will work flawlessly for years.

The other 5% will either have a problem right out of the box or within a few months. This is true of ALL brands. For every basher of Kingston, there is a basher of Sandisk, etc etc. Flash memory is prone to have the odd bad unit here and there, so don't give up on a nicely priced brand (or one with a rebate) just becuase you fell in that 5% once.

The best way to protect yourself is to FILL THE CARD with data (pictures, etc) ALL THE WAY TO THE MAX and then try to retrieve that data back in your computer. This will at least run the card through it's paces once and will reduce the chance of finding a bad sector much later in the life of the card. (Yes, one bad sector, way up in the higher memory area, is enough to ruin ALL the photo's on the card). You stil may have problem in a few months if you are part of the 5%, but you will reduce those chances considerably.

So price shop and get the best deal you can. Also worth noting is that oftentimes Kingston allows TWO (2) rebates per household as opposed to the standard one rebate per household (and you should mail the two in the SAME envelope). But don't just take my word for it, read the rebate (if there is one) to make sure of the limit per household.

Anyway, just get your best price and run the card through it's paces when you get it and you should be happy 95% of the time or better.

If you're buying flash memory a good calculation to do is the megabyte per $ ratio. For SD, the 256MB card is the optimum purchase.

I bought this for my digital camera and it has worked great. It holds 200-300 pictures depending on the camera settings I use and whether I take video clips or not. I've transferred files through the camera serial connection and also using an internal card reader. No problems with either. So far, after almost a year, the card has not become corrupted, and i've not lost any data. Also in that time I've used it for my notebook computer and dell axim pocket pc for file transfers and backing up, and it has also performed admirably.

When it comes to these memory cards, the maker matters. Stay away from Sandisk and PNY. Pay a little more and get a more reliable product. Kingston is a good vendor - I have 2 512MB SD cards and a USB2 256MB flash drive all from kingston and they all work great. no i don't work for them either.

I bought this card for my Kodak CX7430. 256 mb is more than enough for my needs. I have been using it for a while now and am very pleased with it. The card is easily puts the pictures from my camera onto my computer. There have never been any errors or file corruptions. The memory card is particularly easy for me because I have a slot for it in the front of my CPU. For people who do not have this slot, the camera can hook up to the computer and transfer files from both the internal memory and the card. I recommend Kingston because I have never had a problem with any of their products, and they offer a lifetime warrenty.

I brought this memory card for my iPAQ Pocket PC, mainly to store my music files on. Although this can approximately only hold about 60 songs, its big enough for me. This is a great card that has a good amount of memory, and is very cheap. So cheap that buying several of these are more affordable than buying bigger size cards. Overall, if your looking for a memory card, deffinatly get this.

I got my daughter a digital camera to take with her on a two week vacation. Our family camera uses compactflash so I knew I would need to get a new card for the camera. This was the perfect price point for our needs and allowed over 300 photos on the 3.2 MP camera.

I was pleased with the speed of the card. It's faster in transferring pictures to the computer and storing pictures to the camera than some of the older compact flash cards we have.

Operation has been flawless for the three weeks we have been using it. Excellent.

Firstly, Amazon has great service. USPS lost the card, and Amazon sent another one, post haste. The card itself works great. It's not the fastest thing out there, but it's definitely not the slowest thing either. For average use, this card is perfect, and for 256 Mb, the price is really affordable. And to top it off, its made by Kingston, who has been in the memory industry since 1987. I recommend this card to every level of user, if you are trying to compromise with price and quality

Beware of KINGSTON rebates!

Of course, I hope your experience would differ, if you were to buy Kingston product(s), but mine was terrible.

I bought a Kingston CompactFlash card that offered a $50 mail-in rebate. I promptly (as in, the day AFTER I received the item delivery) went to photocopy my rebate certificate and UPC code and sales receipt; then sent it all on its merry way. Yes, I was well within the rebate period, both for the purchase AND for the postmark date. My purchase was a valid retailer (think HUGE online e-tailer).

The rebate REQUIRED sending THE ENTIRE ORIGINAL UPC label, which was like the entire outside package for my CF card, about the size of 1 ½ business cards when flattened. No problem.

About TWO MONTHS later, I get a letter saying "your rebate request was denied because you failed to furnish the appropriate ORIGINAL UPC code as required by the rebate offer."

Well, now WHAT? I can't RE-SEND the original (it was already in their possession). I called, and they insisted on repeating what the letter said. I re-sent my PHOTOCOPIES and they said a photocopy is invalid proof of purchase.

After another 6 weeks of pursuing this, I figured this is their scam. They simply wouldn't honor the rebate. And without the ORIGINAL UPC in my possession, I couldn't really submit to their requirements.

If you're looking for a RAM upgrade, I'd suggest you look at a quality company like OCZ (the BEST!), or Patriot, Geil, or Corsair. If you're looking for a value Flash Memory Card, I might suggest SanDisk.

For one, Kingston does NOT make the best products, they are VALUE-driven products.

Two, there are competitors to Kingston with just as good or better value-to-performance ratios at the same prices.

Three, Kingston will not stand behind their customer as I have experienced.

I urge you to, please, be cautious of Kingston and their rebate scams.

Having worked in the memory business, J.Chang is right that Kingston is a large company, but they are the largest memory MODULE maker in the world, mostly for DRAM product. Eugene's comment regarding them being a buyer of chip product is right, and he's also correct from what I've seen in return rates for Kingston, Sandisk, Lexar, etc. in that there are more defects because Kingston does not product their own chips like Sandisk. They only package the product as well as the controller chip (which also they do not make). Samsung, who Kingston purchases from, does not sell cards in the US They only package the product.

Personally, as a consumer, I bought Kingston and Sandisk, and found the data transfer rate to be faster on the Sandisk. I don't dare want to lose a picture from a potential defect, even though the chances of this is low for either product. I'll go with Sandisk from now on.

This card works great in my Palm Zire 72. All my MP3's and photos are on this card. I'm satisfied.

This product was great for my daughter who is a beginner photographer. My daughter found it to be just the right amount of memory for her camera.
Thanks!