Customer Reviews

elago Mobile Nano II USB 2.0 microSDHC Flash Memory Card Reader (Black)

5 star:		(143)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I *love* this thing.

It is tough: It's not made of cheap plastic; has a very substantial feel, no wiggle, no flex.
It is fast enough; my cards seem to be the limiting factor.
It is *tiny*. It fits almost entirely within the USB port. I leave one in my laptop at all times ... when it's in the case, seriously, at all times.
The lanyard/keyring loop hole is on the device, not on the cap, so you won't lose it. The hole is recessed, so it can't break off, unlike the other tiny reader by the same manufacturer (also a very nice device, btw).
The light is bright!
The card fits into the reader "backwards", i.e. you have to remove the reader from the port to get it out. The card is a little difficult to get out, but it's *not* falling out by accident. Think of this device as one to convert a micro SDHC card into a tiny USB flash drive ... if you want to frequently remove the card itself, i.e. to put in your phone, the other reader by the same manufacturer may better suit your tastes.
The cap fits very very snugly ... It's doubtful that it'll be falling off.

Here's the other reader by the same manufacturer: ELAGO Mobile Micro SD & M2 Reader (White) + Sandisk 8GB Microsdhc Memory Card
I have this one, too, and it's every bit as good, just different in terms of its intended purpose: better if you want to remove the card itself frequently.

So, in short: an fantastic reader, fantastic USB drive (supply your own storage), and I have a couple more on the way :)

I can't believe these things aren't flying off the shelves!! Much better than any USB stick. When a USB stick fails it's either the memory chip or the controller, so you end up throwing the whole thing away. With this type of setup if the controller fails you can just remove the memory stick and use another controller or a micro-SD to standard SD adapter to gain access to your data again. Cuts your chances in half of losing files. Just read the other reviews, they all say everything I would say about this little gizmo. Someone mentioned that the blue light doesn't blink when data is written or read to/from the device, this is only partially correct - it actually flashes rapidly. With a class 6 memory stick it flashes VERY rapidly, hard to notice, but it does. I would prefer the light stay off unless it's being accessed. Someone else mentioned the memory stick was hard to get in and out - Well, yeah at first I wasn't sure which way to insert the card, so be careful. Be sure to insert it into the thinner slot face up with the yellow button face up. And push the yellow button to "eject" the card when you need to.

Overall an Excellent, TINY Card Reader. I'm offering Advice on 2 aspects:

CARD INSERTION: At first, card insertion may be baffling or unclear, so, here goes:
Hold the Elago reader horizontally with the yellow triangle FACING UP.
With your thumbnail, slide the yellow triangle horizontally in and out. Leave it in the OUT position, that is, with MORE yellow showing. Do not inadvertently press on the yellow triangle in the following steps.
Simultaneously in your other hand, hold the micro sd(hc) card with the printing facing up and the shiny gold contacts facing down. (Just like in the first picture.)
Now slide the narrower side of the card(just like in the picture) into the UPPER SLOT of the Elago reader.
Most likely the card will slide most of the way into the Elago reader, but stop at the ridge, the last eighth, where the slightly raised portion is. (If it DOES go all the way in -- good, it's meant to.)
But if it stops at the ridge, and there's still a small section sticking out, you will need to wiggle the card, gently now, and push it ALL THE WAY into the Elago reader. (Later -- pushing down on the yellow triangle will enable you to retrieve your card.)
That's it. You can now plug the Elago reader into your USB slot. If the micro sd(hc) card is not FULLY inserted into the Elago reader, it WON'T BE DETECTED!!
After a few days it will become easier to insert.

Wow, that took longer than I thought!

SPEED: One reviewer said the Elago reader speed was slow. I beg to differ. Performing benchmark tests on a Patriot 16 GB Class 10 micro SDHC card, I got 17.5 MB/s write, and 19.8 MB/s read speeds.



OVERALL AN EXCELLENT TINY MICROSD CARD READER!!

The speed is good enough relating to Transcend multi card reader.
The construction is reliable and the build quality is also very good. Plastics doesn't look or feel cheap.
In addition there is a blue led indicator, just like on the bigger flash drives.

These adapters are so small, you can leave them safely plugged into your computer 24x7, they won't snag or break off. This makes them perfect for ReadyBoost cache acceleration on Windows Vista/7 or later. When attached to a keychain, they're also great for BitLocker whole drive encryption if you don't have a TPM, and can themselves be encrypted with a variety of free products. Similar readers are from EagleTec Nanosac, Buffalo and Inland, but make sure to get one which loads the MicroSD chip into the front side (the USB jack side) not from the handle side. And don't forget that the speed of the device has nothing to do with its size, it only matters what speed class of MicroSD chip you get for it (make sure to get a Class 6 or better chip, the cheaper ones are too slow, which is why they're cheaper). If you have a phone, PDA or camera which takes an SD/SDHC or MicroSD chip, avoid buying regular USB flash drives anymore if possible, only buy MicroSD chips and their adapters for easy sharing and maximum flexibility. There are MicroSD-to-USB adapters like this one, and most MicroSD chips come with a free SD adapter anyway.

This is the best USB flash invention of them all to date! I love this device it's so well built and almost non-existent! I leave it in all the time (even in the case when travelling)! The blue light makes it seem so hi-tech and professional! I can't say enough about this item - I just ordered 4 more to make Ubuntu Netbook Remix live bootables for my uncle, my daughter and 2 extra distros for myself! Currently running Ubuntu 9.10 on an Acer Aspire One 8.9" N270 off of one of these Elago mobile Nano II's and it runs like a charm! Compiz 3D Desktop Cube and all! I wish they came in different colors though so I could tell them apart quickly (instead I used the small leash that is included in the package, and have labeled each leash using a brother p-touch labeler) Siiiiickkkk!!! OpenSuse on one, Moblin on another... Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Kubuntu, etc... It's like you can buy a whole new computer for the measly cost of more microSD cards!!! I can even still move the cards right over to my sansa mp3 players and/or cell phones or cameras for pictures and music and videos etc.... you almost won't need a computer of your own anymore once the 16GB and 32GB microSD cards hit the market - I feel like James Bond! Just helped a friend troubleshoot a bricked laptop and amazed him by booting to this little guy after a quick change to his boot order in the BIOS on his HP laptop....! You should have seen his jaw hit the floor when I booted up and was connected to the internet in under a minute! Incredible Device!!!

Like others who rated this as one star, after 8 months it just stopped working. Loved the thing right up to that point. Won't buy it again.

I bought this to use in the USB port of my Alpine car stereo. Since the USB input is on the front faceplate, having a standard USB flash drive sticking out is not only silly looking, but dangerous (could get knocked and bent or damaged). This super low profile unit is the PERFECT choice! I coupled it with an 8GB micro SD and now have all the music I want and it only sticks out 1/4" from the faceplate...it is COMPLETELY unnoticable and in fact, I can just leave it in all the time, even when I take the faceplate off and put it in its storage container.

This card reader works very well. I have zero problems with this product. I would recommend this to anyone.

This is my 1st review. Usually I don't review items, good or bad, but i must say I was very disappointed when i got this item. 1st time i used it after i receive my card reader Elago didn't read my NEW micro SD card that i just bought from amazon... Well, i thought to myself, maybe is my new micro sd card that doesn't work or try a different USB ports(5)... I tried another usb ports AND micro SD card that i had around, and i get the same results. What makes me more angry at this product is that the fact that i bought a card reader usb in amazon that cost around $2, made in china, looks REALLY cheap of a product, but it WORKS compared to this item. Maybe i got the wrong apple, but i wouldn't take my chances again, I should have listen to the other bad reviews on this product. I guess i will stick to my China cheap made usb card reader that cost me $2 instead of $10 that wouldn't work at the 1st try. Very disappointed. I just wanted to warn the future customers. Wouldnt buy this item again.