SanDisk SDDR-91-A15 CF Type I/II Reader

by SanDisk

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008ZPHW
• Item model number: SDDR-91-A15
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 28, 2003

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The ImageMate CompactFlash Card Reader/Writer is a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Multi-card Reader/Writer that connects to your computer's USB 2.0 port. USB 2.0 provides superior performance to transfer pictures, music, video and data between flash memory cards and your computer.

Because USB 2.0 devices are backwards compatible with USB 1.1 ports, the ImageMate CompactFlash Card Reader/Writer will work with all existing USB ports. The ImageMate CompactFlash Reader/Writer provides the ability to write data to and read data from flash memory without connecting your digital device (digital camera, handheld computer, digital music player, etc.) directly to a computer.

The ImageMate CompactFlash Reader/Writer accepts the following memory types:

1. CompactFlash Type I
2. CompactFlash Type II

Advanced Features and Benefits:

• Hi-Speed USB 2.0 certified for superior data transfer
• Backwards compatible with all USB 1.1 ports
• No additional card adapters needed
• Separate reader and docking station for quick desktop/laptop connectivity
• Easy to install and use; true plug and play... no driver needed.
• Saves your camera battery life
• Separate reader and docking station for easy desktop/laptop connectivity
• Transfer, print, email, and display images with the touch of a button
• Certified Windows XP and Mac OS X

Product Description

The ImageMate USB 2.0 Reader/Writer is a single slot, Hi-Speed reader and writer that connects to your computer's USB 2.0 port. Because USB 2.0 devices are backwards compatible with USB 1.1 ports, the ImageMate USB 2.0 Reader/Writer will work with all existing USB ports. The ImageMate USB 2.0 provides the ability to write data to and read data from flash memory cards without connecting your digital device (digital camera, handheld computer, digital music player, etc.) directly to a computer. SanDisk's ImageMate USB 2.0 Reader/Writer is the fastest way today to transfer pictures, music, data and more to and from your computer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

114 of 119 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Forget about the USB 1.1, July 13, 2003

By 

Travis (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SanDisk SDDR-91-A15 CF Type I/II Reader (Personal Computers)

So you finally bought that new 5- or 6-megapixel digital camera and now you have a 512MB or 1GB compact flash card to hold all those big files. Then you know that USB 1.1 is incredibly slow for transferring files, whether you are hooking the camera directly to your computer's USB port, or using a USB 1.1 card reader.

USB 1.1 has a maximum transfer rate of 1.5 MB/sec, but in real-life tests using my Lexar 512MB 40X compact flash card (one of the fastest currently on the market), the data transfer rate was only 0.6MB/sec. However, with the Sandisk ImageMate's USB 2.0 connection, the transfer rate for the same Lexar card was 3.2MB/sec (about 5 times faster).

This tiny (smaller than a deck of playing cards) USB 2.0 compact flash reader isn't for everyone, however. First, you must have USB 2.0 capability in your computer--something the vast majority of computers don't have. If your computer doesn't, the reader will still work, but only at the slower USB 1.1 speed. However, you can buy a USB 2.0 card to give your computer the capability (Amazon sells a very inexpensive one from Iogear, which I bought for my computer).

Second, you need a relatively fast compact flash card. Just like CD burners, compact flash cards have a maximum speed of their own (40X is approximately 6 MB/sec). If you have an old 4X or 8X compact flash card, then you probably won't see any improvement with this card reader compared to USB 1.1.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great value for a good product, October 17, 2004

By 

Atomicwasteland (Rockville, MD USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SanDisk SDDR-91-A15 CF Type I/II Reader (Personal Computers)

This Compact Flash reader does just what it says, and it does it nicely. It is built well and is very light, and the price can't be beat. It is a USB 2.0 connection (backward compatible with USB 1.1) and I've had good experiences with the speed of data transfer.

I had an old Pocket PC for years but recently had to get rid of. However, in the Pocket PC I had a Compact Flash Card that was still in working condition and I wanted to keep it. Purchasing this product allowed me to take the old data off of it and even use it as an extra storage device (like another disk drive).

In addition, I recently bought a Canon Elph camera (which uses Compact Flash cards) and I wanted the ability to transfer data to my computer WITHOUT using my camera. This was a very important reason for my getting this item. I can now take out a Flash card and send the pictures to my computer even though my camera is low on batteries, or is not available.

It is a pretty simple item, but it does have a couple of minor features. First there are 4 rubber circular pads (about the size of dimes) on the bottom of the reader. This helps prevent it from slipping on a table. (This is important because the reader is so light that the USB cable can curl and push the item around).

Second, there is a little green light (on the top) which comes on whenever you have media inserted. This is good because you can tell if you've inserted it correctly.

I am very happy with this product.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It just works!, December 6, 2004

By 

Michael Marco "friendly neighborhood tech guru" (Los Angeles, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SanDisk SDDR-91-A15 CF Type I/II Reader (Personal Computers)

If you have a digital camera that uses CompactFlash memory cards, this is a must-have accessory. Instead of plugging in your camera directly and draining precious battery life, simply take the CF card from the camera and put it in one of these. Use that battery life to shoot more pictures! If you're using Windows 2000 or XP (I can't comment on Mac compatibility, not having tried it myself), it will be detected and configured automatically. No need to install any special software either; just use it like any other disk. Oh, and even if your system doesn't have USB 2.0 ports--mine doesn't, unfortunately--it will still work with older USB 1.1 ports. Just be prepared to wait slightly longer for transfers.

Oh, and if you take the reader and a CF card with you (it's small enough to pocket quickly), it makes for quick, easy, high-capacity portable storage.

Update: I've also had a chance to test this in Linux, and it works perfectly there. Just make sure to compile USB Mass Storage Support into your kernel or as a module.