Once you've finished shooting photos (and/or video) to your flash memory camera (or camcorder), you'd like to quickly upload them to your computer to view, edit, and share. This is where memory cards with higher maximum read/write speeds can shine (see previous post), as long as your card reader also has the performance headroom.
Since SanDisk is so interested in high-speed memory cards, it makes sense to also have introduced the SanDisk ImageMate USB Reader/Writers that are small, sleek, and, of course, fast. Both are glossy black, with a detachable metal tripod stand, held on securely with two indents and magnetic attraction.
The smaller SanDisk ImageMate Multi-Card USB Reader/Writer is only some 2 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 3/8 inches. The trick to making it so small is that it has only one card slot, which can handle the basic variants of all four main memory card formats (SD / MMC, Memory Stick, and xD) -- though not the micro sizes or Compact Flash. It's rated to support up to 30 MB/sec. read and 27 MB/sec. write speeds with a SanDisk Extreme III 30 MB/Sec. SDHC card. Zoom!
The sibling SanDisk ImageMate All-In-One USB Reader/Writer is about twice as long, to fit the more traditional four card slots (for microSD, SD/MMC, Memory Stick / Duo, and CF variants). And it's rated to support up to 34 MB/sec. with a SanDisk Extreme IV 45 MB/sec. CompactFlash card.
These ImageMates also have a Transfer button on the top to launch a selected favorite application or website (using a downloadable application).
They're fast, sleek and small, to take up less space, particularly mounted vertically on the stand. The smaller SanDisk ImageMate Multi-Card is around $22 ($16 street), and the ImageMate All-In-One is $33 ($28 street).
See my Portable Storage Gallery for more on storage formats and devices.
Find the
SanDisk ImageMate Multi-Card USB Reader/Writer
and ImageMate All-In-One Reader/Writer on Amazon.com