Intro:
With the advent of various portable technologies, there
comes a need for storage formats that suits the requirements of these devices.
It seems that each manufacturer has their own propriety memory format, requiring
that you plug in your device and use the manufacturer's programs to transfer
your files. All of these devices also need to connect to the computer somehow;
the parallel and serial methods have thankfully been dropped in favor of the
faster USB 2.0 and Firewire connections, but computers don't always have enough
of these ports to satisfy each device. Vantec hopes to solve both dilemmas with
the 8-in-1 Card Reader / USB 2.0 Hub. Will the 8-in-1 solve your memory format
woes, or will it just be another daisy-chained device to be more of a hindrance
than a help?
Retail packaging:
The 8-in-1 comes in sealed retail packaging with the actual unit viewable
through a clear window. Here are the features listed on the packaging:
- 3 High Speed USB 2.0 Ports
- Easily Read/Write To Flash Cards
- Supports 8 Types Of Flash Cards
- Sleek & Compact Design
- LED Power & Activity Indicator
- Compatible With PC & MAC
The 'Supports 8 Types Of Flash Cards' statement is
somewhat of a misnomer, if this is the first time you have seen, or used a card
reader such as this. There are four different slots for memory, but different
format versions share the same interface. For example, Compact Flash I, Compact
Flash II, and MicroDrive memory all share the same interface, but count as a
total of three 'types' of Flash Cards. The others are Secure Digital and
Multimedia Cards (same interface), SmartMedia, and Memory Stick and Memory Stick
Pro (same interface). That is how companies call four memory interfaces, 'Supports 8
Types Of Flash Cards'.
Here are a few pictures of the exterior.
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| (1) Front of packaging |
(2) Back of packaging |
What you get:
Besides the main unit, the package also includes a driver / installation CD,
a guide booklet, a USB cable, a power adapter, and a quick reference guide. The
unit is not overly complicated, so the instruction booklet is brief and
to-the-point. I had no problems installing and using the 8-in-1 after reading
the booklet, and most people could easily get by without reading the literature.
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| (3) Package Contents |
(4) Wiring |
The main unit:
The Hub / Card Reader is a compact and sleek unit. It is roughly the size of
a deck of cards, at half the height. It has a logical port layout, and adequate
labeling for the various interfaces.
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| (5) Top view |
(6) Corner view |
The power adapter plug and the USB 2.0 connection to the computer are
located on one end, and the three USB 2.0 ports that consist of the hub are on
the opposite end. The memory card connections are along the side. Compared to a
few other inexpensive memory readers I have used, the memory card connections
were sized correctly; no wiggling or loose cards, and no cards had to be removed
with a pair of pliers because they were stuck.
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(7) Memory card connections
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(8) Rear connections
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| (9) USB 2.0 Ports |
Because the 8-in-1 draws its own power from the wall adapter, you can use
all three USB ports without fear of overdrawing power from the main USB
connection. If you are using USB devices that provide their own power (like a
printer) or draw less than 100mA, you don't even need the 8-in-1's power adapter
to be connected. There is an LED next to the adapter plug to indicate power
flowing to the unit, and then a set of LEDs on the opposite end to display the
status of the USB hub connections.
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| (10) Power LED |
Installation and use:
I installed the 8-in-1 on both a Windows 2000 and
Windows XP computer, and ran into no problems with either installation. With
Windows 98 or 2000, you have to install the drivers via the installation CD
before you plug the unit in; Windows ME and XP can both install it automatically
without needing the CD. However, when XP automatically installs the 8-in-1, you
don't get the luxury of having Vantec's icons assigned to the memory drive
letters. Instead, you just get generic images, which leaves you in the dark on
which slot is which.
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| (11) Windows XP default icons |
I was able to find a solution to this that worked out
quite well. The reason you don't get Vantec's memory icons with the ME/XP
install is because ME/XP uses its own drivers instead of utilizing Vantec's. I
created shortcuts on my desktop, and pointed them to the appropriate drives (J:,
H:, etc). I then labeled them "Compact Flash" and "Memory Stick" respectively.
Then, I opted to change the shortcuts' icons. When it asks you to locate an
icon, navigate to your CD drive (with the 8-in-1 CD, E:\ in my case), E:\USB2.0
DRIVER\8 IN 1\WIN2000\GeneIcon.dll. You can then choose any of the icons that
Windows 98 and 2000 users get the luxury of having installed automatically,
along with a few others. Here is a screenshot of the icons on my desktop
afterwards.
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| (12) Memory format icons |
I used three different formats in my testing of the
8-in-1 Card Reader; the CompactFlash card from an older digital camera, the
Memory Stick for my Sony Clie PDA, and the SmartMedia card for my MP3 player. I
had mixed results in my testing. I used two different MP3 players; my
now-deceased Rio 500, and a generic, 'Classic MP3 Player' from Circuit City. The
Rio 500 worked fine, with audio tracks uploaded directly to the card with the
8-in-1 indexed and playing normally. The Classic MP3 Player did not like the
8-in-1, however. Its program uses some sort of propriety MP3 indexing, so none
of the uploaded MP3s showed up on the MP3 Player, and vice versa.
(This is the case in all card readers/writers.) The
CompactFlash card worked without a hitch, along with the Memory Stick. I should
also note that the 8-in-1 does not have an xD memory slot. My FujiFilm FinePix
2650 uses the xD, along with other Fuji and Olympus cameras.
(Although xD to CF adapters are available in stores at a
relatively inexpensive price point.)
Conclusion:
The 8-in-1 succeeds in being a must-buy for the
majority of people who have multiple portable devices with varying memory
formats. Besides the hiccup from my generic MP3 player and the lack of xD
support, I was able to bypass the annoying and sometimes poorly-coded programs
that came as almost an afterthought with my hardware. Dragging and dropping
files was much more hassle-free than wading through the under-documented and
underpowered device programs. The USB 2.0 Hub also worked, delivering standard
USB 2.0 speeds with convenient connectivity. I was also happy to see that it was
possible with only a little know-how to set up shortcuts with the provided icons
to the memory formats in Windows XP.
Pros:
- Sleek and compact design
- Flexibility with powering options
- Support for most memory card formats
- Simple USB 2.0 Hub
- Painless installation
Cons:
- No xD format support
- May not work with certain devices that use propriety indexing
(See Editors note above.)
"A successful USB Hub / Card Reader combination!"
Closing:
I'd like to thank Clare at
Vantec for supplying us with
the 8-in-1 Card Reader / USB Hub for review today. Information on where you can
buy one of these is here. If you have any questions or
comments on the review, please feel free to
e-mail me. You can also take a look
at
the forums if you have some time.
Home ^^^
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