I was looking for a small portable Compact Flash (CF) and SDHC card reader for my netbook and came across this Transcend branded card reader. It is quite small and portable, uses a standard mini-usb cable which is easily replaced if the included cord is lost, and its performance is excellent. I tested this card reader against the built-in USB 2.0 CF card reader in my Dell flat panel monitor, and the Transcend reader tests out at almost twice the read speed of the Dell reader that I have been using up to this point. My guess is write speed is similarly fast, but I didn't test that as I normally only write to these cards in my camera.
My only criticism and it is a struggle to even come up with this, is that the 24" USB cable provided with the reader is white and so it looks a bit odd when plugged into the black card reader. But that is only an aesthetic criticism which in the end doesn't really count.
I was very surprised and pleased with the performance of this item as it far exceeded my expectations, and I would be shocked if it could be substantially outperformed by other readers at any price! The construction is very nice, it is small so it doesn't take up much room when travelling, and is a great item for a very low price. Buy one today ... I am going to buy another in fact so that I have a spare in my portable bag.