Card readers – the very word makes so much more sense now that we’ve all become obsessive hoarders. Our needs to share data and store it too are only scaling up and there seems to be no reason to curb it down. Given that each device usually comes with its own memory card, handling that kind of data would put anyone in a tizzy. Walk in multipurpose card readers and suddenly our grouses of owning various devices are put to rest. But how many among them can claim to look as cool as the Silicon Power All In One Card Reader that’s hooked up to our PC for a couple of days now? Well, here’s a review.
Now we’ve seen some fancy looking card readers, but nothing quite that stole our heart at first sight. Silicon Power’s 74.5X60.5X22.5mm sized card reader meant we weren’t spending much time deciding where we wanted to place the device in an already cluttered work environment. Its side profile felt middling between a hairclip and a USB drive. No seriously! Though we couldn’t just decide on which one it resembled more. We only didn’t find ourselves liking the glossy theme that’s followed all along because in the white color that the card reader’s dressed in, it’s a party for smudges, scratches, fingerprints and dust. Its white hue did almost put the leash on all things serene and calm though.
The top cover of the card reader features the words Silicon Power with the logo and we specifically received model no SPC33V2W. The area between the top and bottom surfaces in the front-side fastens the USB which accommodated itself neatly in the assigned compartment. The overall look and feel of this Silicon Power All In One hardware is amiable and while we can’t say if it impressed us enough, it’s definitely not an eye-sore. We’re giving SP a pat on the back for having such a multifunctional device so neatly constructed. Moving over to the compartments on the left – it includes the microSD/SDHC and SD/SDHC/RS-MMC/MMC mobile slots. The right edge features the xD and the MS Pro/MS Duo/MS Pro Duo. A CF slot has been intelligently fitted at the back. There’s also a LED light here that lights up in bright blue when you install a memory card and then hook the device to your PC.
Simple plug and play with no fuss involved made for a nice way to get started about things. The lightweight device tipping the scale at a mere 50g supports the Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, XP,7 32/64bit, vista 32/64bit Mac 9.x/10.x and Linux kernel 2.4x/2.6x platforms. We were working with a 64-bit Windows 7 OS. Now for some, USB 2.0 might feel a wee bit outdated, but on a practical note USB 3.0 for that matter has still to pick up pace too. And with a large number of devices we use still running at USB 2.0 speeds, it doesn’t feel that much of a downer. The card’s operating temperature is said to range between 0°C ~ 55 °C while you can stash it away in temperatures between -20°C ~ 70°C .
When it comes down to it, card readers are all about compatibility and the fact that this Silicon Power reader has 5 card slots lending a helping hand to multiple card types only helps its purpose. The list includes CF Type, xD, SD, SDHC, miniSDHC, MMC, MMC plus, micro SD, micro SDHC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo and more. The bad news is that if you are working with MS Micro (M2), mini SD, MMC micro, MMC mobile or RS MMC memory card types, you’re going to need the adapter card. But the good news is that all 5 card slots irrespective of the type of card inserted can perform read and write operations simultaneously. So if you’re the multitasking kind wanting to move data between say the memory card in your camera to the one in your phone, the device sure performs the task conveniently.
Of course, we did put the reader through a thorough test with various memory card brands and formats. For most of it, the reader was rather upfront about having content transferred at high speeds. On an average, the device read in at 27MB/s and you may have differing results on the basis of the format and the maxed transfer speed of the card you’re using. But we didn’t face a glitch for sure.
In conclusion, we think the Silicon Power All In One Card Reader, despite its USB 2.0 support makes for a good accompaniment. And even if the overall design and tailoring of card reader may not seem stylish enough, it does offer compatibility to a host of card types. Photographers, in particular, especially those already on the move can almost certainly add it to their list of toys. We’re rating the card reader at a decent 8 out of 10. It’s priced at $14.95 (approx. Rs. 665) at Amazon and backed by a two-year warranty.
