Customer Reviews

Simple Tech BONZAI USB 2.0 CARD READER ( STI-USB2BONZAI )

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Thumbdrives are great; have got them for my kids. But if you want to share data with other devices than computers, more generic flash memory (like SD) is preferable. I've got a few SD cards for my PDA, my camcorder, and my laptop (it has a built-in SD drive). The Bonzai allows me to swap cards/files with these devices and other computers (with USB ports), using thumbdrive-like device. Big advantage of Bonzai is you can swap out SD flash memory, using it for multiple cards. Or even if you only used it as a thumbdrive, it has the advantage of being upgradable. I started using it with a 256MB SD card; just got a 1GB 32x SD card and it flies.

We now have three digital cameras in the house, and they all use SD memory cards. Downloading all the pictures from the cameras was getting to be a burden, and was wasting camera battery time as well. So, when I saw this little device, I knew I had to have one, especially when I noticed the price. All our computers are running Windows XP, so using this was a simple as inserting an SD memory card and plugging it into an open USB port. The time required to download the pictures is a fraction of what it takes when the camera is connected to the USB port. I've also found it to be a convenient way to move data between my laptop and other computers. I now have one of these in the desk drawer in the office, and another in my laptop case.

The newest version of the SD cards (Ultra or Hi-Speed) ar not readable with this device. Make sure you have a standard or older version or an SD card before purchasing

The Simple Tech BONZAI USB 2.0 Card Reader is nearly perfect! It supports SD memory sizes up to at least 4GB so far that I have tested and never seems to have connection problems of any kind. My only problem with it and all other SD card readers that I know of, is that none of them seem to support any speeds past 9MB per second, even though practically every brand supports SD memory now supports 15MB per second or faster. I see no reason why companies making the SD readers can go faster, like the external interface on USB hard drives do.

I work in a busy library and have to move from computer to computer during the day. Unfortunately, some of these computers are in high traffic areas. My previous jump drive was bumped by someone's foot while it was plugged into the front of a PC. The metal connector bent and the data on the drive became inaccessible. That is when I bought my Bonzai reader. Mine has worked with perfect reliability since I got it in early June of last year. If it ever does get broken I will be able to remove the SD card and know that my data is still accessible.

Anyone who owns SD cards should just pick one of these up. The price is amazing, and the product is really useful. You can use it as your main SD card reader, but it also doubles as a flash drive, so you can carry it around with you and transfer files between computers. Plus, if you happen to have extra SD cards laying around that are too small to use in your digital camera or other electronics, you can pick a few of these up and use them as extra "floppy drives" - lend them to friends or give them as gifts. The drive comes with a 3 foot USB cable (which could sell for $5 on its own), so you can plug it into the back of a desktop computer. The only drawback - it's a little bigger and slightly less sleek than a standard "thumb" drive, but it's 100% more useful. By the way, I get transfer rates of about 5MB/second with my high-speed SD cards, and around 1MB/second with my regular cards.

I like to take a lot of pictures when I travel. I almost always get a new camera every 2 years as the digital ones keep getting better. The new ones can use quite large Secure Digital flash memory cards. Of course, after 6 months, the cards are both small and can be replaced by ones much, much larger for next to nothing.

I used to put the old ones in a PDA or laptop as a low power disk drive. Now I just put the new one in as a disk drive. 1GB for next to nothing, which is quite a deal.

With the Bonzai, I just stick a new card into it and place the Bonzai into a USB port and it just works. It works with Windows XP, Mac OS X, and Linux. I have amazed people in places like P.R. China, Australia, Austria, and even the USA with swapping other people's SD cards for mine in the Bonzai and, voila, it just works.

For the price, this is one of the wonders of the electronic world. I give them away as thank you gifts. I have always received complementary comments later.

One of the best products I bought under $10. The SD card clicks into place, which I did not observe in other card readers that I have seen. I have a 2 GB SD card & I can use it as a flash drive.

The SimpleTech Bonzai USB Flash Drive is both useful and inexpensive. For the most part it does exactly what is claims. Insert YOUR SD card into the spring loaded slot on the drive and you have a USB flash drive ready to go. In addition to acting as a flash drive, the Bonzai can also replace a USB card reader to download pictures from your camera. You can also think of it as a slightly large case to transport and protect your SD cards.
When attached to a USB 2.0 port it is remarkably quick, transferring 2 or 3 mb files in seconds. It comes with a cable so that you can easily attach the flash drive to a port on the back of your computer and with a strap so you can hang it around your neck. Everything consider, it is a lot for the money.
I do have a few minor quibbles. The plastic cover over the card slot initially was so stiff that I had to use a knife to open it. After using the drive for a few weeks it has loosened up and is easier to use. Also, it comes with virtually no instructions or drivers. This is fine for users of Windows XP, but if you want to use the drive with any other operating system be prepared to download some drivers. A short instruction manual is also available on line.
Finally, a warning - as with any USB device make sure the light is not blinking when you disconnect it. Better yet, use the "Safely Remove Hardware" menu to make sure the flash drive is not busy. I failed to do this and fried a 256 mb high speed card. I'm not sure SimpleTech or any other manufacturer could have done anything to prevent this. It was just a stupid move on my part so it is not reflected in my rating of the drive.

I purchased a 4gb memory card for my Dell 700m, not realizing that the computer (which has a SD slot) does not support cards with that much memory. Based on another review, I purchased this product. It works great; the reading and writing is very fast. The thing has a weird, flimsy plastic piece protecting the card slot which feels like it will break in 2 weeks, but not a huge deal. Also, it is weird that shipping was so much. The product is solid though.