kengland4's Full Review: Kingston (MBLY/4GB) MicroSD Card
Background
I've always been a sucker for Kingston products. I almost exclusively use their computer memory, and I inherently trust their flash memory devices. Their attention to detail, quality control, and dependability have made me a "lifer." Recently, I purchased one of their 16Gb USB flash drives as a Christmas gift.
The Actual Product
It's simply gorgeous! It is essentially a 4 Gb micro secure digital high-capacity memory card, with adaptors to convert it into, both--a mini SD and a full-size SD card, as well as a full-fledged, USB 2.0-compliant flash drive! In its latter configuration, the micro SD card slides into the USB holder which, in turn, slides into a tiny "clamshell" of a storage case when not in use--the card itself has a slightly-raised lip which allows it to be easily grasped and removed by. There is a lanyard that you have pull along a "track" to extract the USB drive and insert into a USB port; it has a tiny keychain loop on the end. The Kingston logo is smartly emblazoned on an expensive-looking raised black area, and the micro SD card itself is protected from contact--safely under the lip of the clamshell. The entire unit is about 1.5 inches long, and it's nice enough to win a design award. I couldn't locate any data on transfer rates, but it feels as fast as any of my other USB 2.0 devices. It also has a lifetime warranty, and 24/7 technical support.
In Use
This unit is so versatile that a pair of them might satisfy all of your portable storage needs! I originally got it as an upgrade to the 2 gb card I was using to store music, photos, and videos on my Sanyo Katana Eclipse mobile phone. It has found more (and daily) use, however, as a flash drive to transfer music from my desktop, and play on my Kenwood KDC-MP435U removeable faceplate MP3/CD player--I insert it, and the song is playing in 7-10 seconds (picking up where it'd been playing when I'd last yanked it out). I could also pop it into the full-size SD adapter and use it in my Canon digital camera, or just to shuffle data on my flash card reader. With the many adapters, the possibilities are nearly endless!
What Else?
It really is "bare-bones" as a flash drive, in that it doesn't have an LED activity indicator, or a long handle to grasp it by. So it takes some practice to figure out how to insert it into USB ports. Since I'm still fumbling with all my other USB flash drives, I'm not going to hold it against this product. In practical usage, it is identical to a retractable USB flash drive--with no cover. It is very well-designed, though--a great gift for the minimalist-minded (mind you)!
As a memory card, it's high-capacity (SDHC) specification means it will only work with devices certified as "SDHC-compatible" (indicated by "Class 4" or above). As a flash drive, it's backwards-compatible with USB 1.1 devices (virtually all others)--file transfer will just be orders of magnitude slower, but that just "comes with the territory."
The adapters could be used with any micro SD card--they are general. I have taken to collecting micro SD cards, and am even using one in my main digital camera right now--with one of these adapters. There's really no sense in purchasing the less-versatile full-size SD cards (or mini SD ones) anymore--and they seem to cost a bit more.
I thought I might lose this miniscule product, but I've been fortunate so far. The lanyard could be attached, via its keyring, to longer lanyards (from other flash drives), with detachable loops. That way, you could secure it to a key fob, or pretty much anything.
Conclusion
The Kingston 4Gb micro secure high-capacity digital flash card, with flash drive, mini SD and full-size SD adapters, is a wonderfully versatile product that makes a great gift! It can be converted for use in many devices, reducing the amount of gear that one has to carry. This kit is selling for $8.99 at *mazon.com today, at the link below, and I'm getting infinitely more use out of it than I did with my "A Data" secure digital card!
One card does fit all devices. This all-in-one media kit combines a single card with an adapter to give mobile users the compatible storage they need ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
Complete ¿ single card solution for multiple devices Multifunctional: when microSD card is combined with the included adapter, can be used as a SD ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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