ZOOM ZOOM...PQI Is In The Lead - PQI 3-in-1SD/MMC/MS Card Reader/Writer
Written: Oct 17 '04 (Updated Oct 26 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Fast reading and writing speed. Cool design beats those blocky-lookin' card readers.
Cons: ........Let's just say you should watch out when it's plugged into front of your computer.
The Bottom Line: All-in-all, if you're looking for a card reader just for SD/MMC or Magic Stick, then this is the one for you.
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| shippo225's Full Review: PQI 3-in-1 USB 2.0 SD, MMC, MS Memory Card Reader ... |
I am glad that a picture was placed with this product once I had published my review, but I do believe that that picture depicts the 8-in-1 reader/writer (I looked it up). This is for the 3-in-1 for which the item description depicts. And now that I'm done rambling on................
The Inside Story:
.....Ever since I bought an SD card to store information on my Tungsten T, I have been stuck using the old Hotsync mode of installing files to the SD card. For those of you whom do not know what hotsyncing is, it's the program used to connect a PDA to a desktop computer and transfer data. And for those of you whom do know what it is, you may know oh so well how slow the process of installing to the card can be. Small files are ok, but when you are installing large files, such as GPS maps, mp3's, movies or what, you need some type of card writer to do the job. So, where do you look? Well, since I am quite fond of eBay and am always looking for a good deal, I looked around for the best SD card writer I could find that wouldn't cost too much. Finally, I came across this one at around $15. Yeah, it was more expensive, but I liked it. I bought it and had it shipped right away. And so the story goes.....
The Package:
.....When you buy the PQI 3-in-1 reader, you will get the USB 2.0 card reader/writer, a 3-foot USB 2.0 cord extension, and a driver installation CD. It all comes in a small, compact package that takes sharp scissors and good cutting skills. Yeah, it comes in one of those hard-2-open plastic cases. But the prize inside is well worth it.
What Is It And What Does It Do:
.....Card readers are very useful to computers and can serve as many functions. First off, SD/MMC and MS cards can be used as removable drive, just as floppy disks but with much more storage. In my case, I leave mine in permanantly with a 1 Gigabyte SD sticking out of it. When I download music and DVDs off the internet, the files go straight to the card in real time. And as people download hundreds of files off of me, they come straight from the card as well. So we know that speed is not of issue here.
.....And then for a second use, many people have those new mini mp3 players that have hours of music and store the music on SD cards. Having a high-speed writer is essential to even use one of these mp3 players. And then there are those new, and quite expensive, handheld camcorders that record to SD. You would need a good reader to get it onto the computer.
.....Aside from those, there are so many ways in which you can find good use of this contraption.
Setup And Installation:
.....Setup is so simple that even There are two things to consider when you are installing the PQI reader. First of all, what operating system are you running? The card reader instructions state that installing a driver is unnecessary if you are running either the Windows ME or Windows XP platform. All others systems, especially earlier ones, will require the CD installation beforehand.
.....If you are running Windows ME/XP, then you should be able to just plug the device straight into the USB port - with or without the extension cable - and start using it. Once the computer perceives the new device, it will automatically build the driver base for it. Sometimes, however, the computer will not work with the device. In this case you will just have to follow through with the CD installation as listed below for earlier versions.
.....For other OS versions, or ME/XP users that found a problem with it, you need to follow through with the driver setup. To begin, MAKE SURE THAT YOUR DEVICE IS UNPLUGGED FROM THE COMPUTER BEFORE INSTALLING THE DRIVER. Insert the CD into the CD-ROM drive. The setup program should execute automatically (If not, select the CD in MY COMPUTER). There are only a few read-through screens to follow for installation and it's pretty self-explanatory. Once you finish, you may be prompted to restart your computer. This only occurs on some computers. If you wish to do so, click Restart Now to restart your computer. If you have other programs open and stuff you do not wish to end or delete, then you can click Restart Later and continue on with the computer. You just will not be able to use your card writer until you have completed the restart.
.....Once you have restarted your computer, just plug the PQI reader into an available USB port - USB 2.0 is applicable. The device works with USB 1.0, but will have much slower times writing. Reading isn't too much of an issue.
.....If you plan to just plug it into the front of your computer temporarily, that's all fine and dandy, but if you are unfortunate enough to not have any in the front, then you will have to plug it into the back of the PC. That's why it is so nice to have a 3-foot extension. It isn't too short or too long, just right. Mine is permanently placed by this method.
Removing The Device:
.....If you want to unplug the device from your computer, you can not just simply pull it out. This may cause a horrifying crash. You fist must deactivate the active connection. When the device is plugged in, you will have an eject hardware button on the system tray on the bottom right corner of your screen. If you double-click it, a box will popup for ejecting hardware. If you have other plug-n-play devices, they may appear in this list as well. You want to select USB disk and double-click it. Another window will popup. You can chose OK to stop the device and a window with tell you that it is safe to remove the device. Now you can unplug it. It's only a five-second process.
.....If you have unplugged the device and wish to use it again, all you need to do is insert it back into the USB port and the eject hardware button will appear again. A red LED on the unit will tell you that the unit is active and ready.
Put It To The Test:
.....And what a better way to test the speed and accuracy of a device like this than the way I use it. I run WINMX - a real time peer-2-peer file-sharing network - day in and day out. I run all incoming and outgoing transfers straight from the card writer with a 1GB SD in it. And at any given time, I can have ten or fifteen incoming downloads and up to one hundred possible outgoing downloads all simultaneously. The card reader writes and reads from the card fast enough that the transfers go on just as fast as they would if they were coming from the hard drive. And all this happens without even breaking a sweat. When files are read or written to a card, the red LED blinks, speed varying withe amount of data being transfered. During these several coming and going files, the light barely blinks at all, indicating that the card can read ad write a hundred times faster than it currently does.
.....So what does this mean in short? It all simply means that when using this device to simultaneously read and write, it can handle much higher transfer speeds than your internet connection can.
A Few Tips:
.....There are a few tips that I would like to point out. Like I said before, if you plug it into the front of your computer, that's fine, but you may want to be careful. If your PC tower is in one of those desks with a door enclosing the PC, make sure you don't close the door on it. If you have a card in it, you just might snap it. Not good if you have a $300 gigabyte SD card in it. Another problem with that is swinging your leg by it and accidentally hitting it sideways, possibly damaging both pieces of equipment.
.....And some tips for those of whom wish to keep it permanently plugged onto the back of the PC with the extension. Make sure you don't let the thing just drag in the carpet. Digital media and static aren't the closest of friends. In my case, I just mounted the thing to the wall of my desk with double-sided carpet tape. Now it is in a position where I can just pop a card into it without finding it on the floor. This method may not be suitable if you wish to take the device between different computers.
In The End:
.....Overall, I feel that the PQI 3-in-1 is the best reader/writer you can find. It performs fast and flawlessly and topped off with a cool design. It may not have all the features of the 6-in-1 readers, but if you are only going to be working with the SD, MMC or MS cards, then this is all you need. And now, I lay this case to rest...
Recommended:
Yes
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shippo225
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Location: Left @ Albuquerque
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