This is a Sony Memory Stick reader. It functions like an external drive and works very well. If you use a lot of Sony products then this is something you want to check out.

What it comes with.
-The MagicGate Pro reader/writer.
-A 38 inch long USB cable.
-CD with .
-Instruction manual.

Setup
All I did was connect the USB cable to the reader/writer unit and plug it into my USB port. My version of Windows XP recognized it and treated it as a removable disk. It took about 20 seconds or so but every other time I plug it in it now it only takes a couple of seconds to register. Now it acts just like a USB flash drive and I can load or remove software to/from the memory stick. Now you are only limited by the size and speed of the memory stick in your possession.
I tried it on another computer that (I think) is running a version of Windows NT. I had the same results and it works flawlessly on that computer also. It’s nice to see plug and play actually working the way it was supposed to.

How it works.
There is a slot in the front that you put your memory stick into. It doesn’t matter if it is the long or short one, it accommodated both without the need for the adapter. Once you insert the disk the computer will recognize it and you can load or unload information easily by just going through “My Computer” and selecting “removable drive”. I can browse the music files I use for my Palm Pilot or the pictures we took with our digital camera.
There is a blue light on the top and it flashes when the memory stick is being accessed. The blue light also signifies when the unit is on and plugged in. There are no buttons or other external controls.

What is on the CD
Operating instructions-
USB driver-
SonicStage-
Memory Stick formatter-

If you have an up to date OS then you won’t need the CD, just plug in your drive.

Memory stick reader or a USB drive. What should I get?
Depends on what you are doing. I actually recommend a USB drive over this is you do a lot of software exchange between computers. It is easier and the USB drives are smaller that this drive. Since I have only Sony products I find this device to be ideal. I can easily transfer music back and forth as well as my files for work. It just makes things easier for me and cheaper since I already own memory sticks. The only drawback that I have is it doesn’t fit in my pocket as well as my 32MB USB drive.

Transfer speed
With a high quality memory card you can transfer 80 Mbps (80 megabits per second). This is 10 Megabytes (MB) per second. Fast enough for movies, or so they say.
I did a test with 50MB of mp3’s. I used my standard 128 MB memory stick (not the pro). It took 42 seconds to transfer them from the stick to the computer HD. I would expect much faster times with one of the more advanced sticks.

Who is this for?
Anyone that uses memory sticks a lot. It makes loading and unloading pictures/music a lot easier.
Before we used this we would have to use our old Sony Palm Pilot to load our pictures from our digital camera, not we can use this instead.

Battery life
No batteries needed, it is powered thru the USB cable.

Requirements
OS: Windows 98SE, Windows Me, Windows 2000 with service pack 3 or later, windows XP
CPU: Pentium III 450 MHz or faster
RAM: 128 MB or more.
HD: 200 MB or more
CD-ROM drive
Sound Board
USB port
Display: 16-bit color, 800x480.

Mac
Mac OS 9.2.2/X (v 10.2-10.4)
RAM: 64MB or more
HD: 50 MB or more
USB port

Keep in mind that this does support USB 2.0 which I highly recommend getting.
Also, SonicStage only works on PC’s, not MAC’s.

specifications
Interface Hi-Speed USB
Operating voltage: DC 5 V
Power consumption: Max. 500 mA (during operation)
Max 0.5 mA (PC suspend time)
External dimensions: 1 9/16 x 23/32 x 3 1/2 inches
Mass: 28g
Operating conditions: Temperature 32 degrees F to 104 degrees
Humidity: 20 % to 80 %
Weight: 1 oz


Other Sony products I recommend.
Sony Wega HDTV.
Sony 5.1 Surround Sound System.
Sony Portable DVD Player.
Sony Handicam Digital Camcorder.


Recommended: Yes