Atech Flash PRO 9 USB 2.0 Internal/External 9 In 1 Card Reader

A flash card reader is just one of those things in life that you really don't need, but once you get your hands on one, you won't want to live without it. You can of course buy card-specific readers, such as a CompactFlash (CF) card reader or a SecureDigital card reader, or you can cover as many bases as possible with a multi-format reader. I prefer the second approach because it keeps all the doors open, and I won't have to buy multiple card-specific readers if I ever get different kinds of flash media. Currently, I only own a 16MB and 128MB CF card and a 64MB SD card, but I can easily see myself needing to be able to read a Memory Stick or Smart Media card some day.

Flash card readers of course have to connect to your PC somehow, and usually that's done through a USB interface. Nowadays, you are hopefully looking for USB 2.0 (or Hi-Speed) certified devices so that you can move up to the 480 Mb/s (Mb = Megabits) data transfer rate. USB 1.1 is just agonizingly slow at 12 Mb/s, especially after you have experienced 2.0 speeds. A lot of older media won't really be able to hit those speeds, but newer media is getting faster and faster to really take advantage of that USB 2.0 potential.

We haven't looked at very many flash devices recently, but several months ago I did take a look at the SanDisk ImageMate 6-in-1 USB 2.0 card reader. I was very happy with it, and I have used it a lot in the months since that review. I've been wanting something else though -- an internal multi-format reader. With the slow death of the floppy drive, an internal card reader can naturally fill that 3.5" bay void if you opt not to install a floppy drive in your system.

Thanks to ioCombo.com, I don't have to wish for an internal solution any longer. They sent me an Atech Flash PRO 9 USB 2.0 Internal/External 9 In 1 Card Reader.

One exciting thing about this Atech PRO 9 model is that it can easily be installed internally or be used as an external reader. Another great thing is that it supports the two newest formats -- xD-Picture Cards from Fuji and Memory Stick Pro cards. Read the rest of the review to learn more about this cool product.

Features:

• Ultra High speed USB 2.0 interface - up to 480 Mb/s transfer rate to access to your flash media cards.
• Backward compatible with USB 1.1 interface.
• Front IEEE 1394 (FireWire) pass-through port - for easy connection to FireWire devices, such as Digital Video (DV) camcorders, FireWire Hard Drives and etc.
• 4 independent card slots - allow you to access 4 different media cards concurrently and direct file transferring among media cards in different slots.
• Compatible with newer xD-Picture Card and Memory Stick PRO formats.
• Fully Plug and Play - No software driver needed on Windows ME, XP or later.
• USB powered - no additional power adaptor or battery required.
• External or Internal Use - can be installed into a computer 3.5" drive bay or use externally.
• Available in Beige, Silver and Black.

Specifications:

• Dimension (W x H x D): 4.02 inch x 1 inch x 4.92 inch (102 mm x 25 mm x 125 mm)
• Power Requirement: 5V DC (USB Bus powered)
• Transfer rate:
  • Up to 480 Mbps (Via USB 2.0)
  • Up to 12 Mbps (Via USB 1.1)
• Supported O/S: Windows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows ME (No driver required), Windows XP (No driver required), Mac OS 9.0 or higher
• Supported media format:
  • Compact Flash (Type I & II)
  • IBM MicroDrive
  • Smart Media (3.3V)
  • MultiMedia
  • Secure Digital
  • Memory Stick
  • Memory Stick Pro
  • xD-Picture Card* (xD-Picture Card is a trademark owned by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.)

Package Contents:

• PRO 9 reader unit
• External USB cable
• Internal USB cable
• Internal IEEE1394 cable
• PRO 9 setup CD
• User's Manual

Front of the Box	Back of the Box
The Internal Packaging	Everything From Inside the Box

Strangely, the package does not include screws, but it does provide everything else you need. The unit I received is silver, but it is also available in black and beige. It's great of Atech to try to make three very common case colors available in order to make matching that case easier. If you're lucky enough to have a case that matches one of the available colors, you won't have to bust out the vinyl dye.

You may have noticed from the features that the PRO 9 unit can be used as either an internal card reader or an external reader. This may seem rather obvious to some, but I think it's important for those who may not have realized. Atech includes a nice long cable for external use.