Review: Memory Card Gateway from Digital Foci
Posted by Lab Rat
If there is one thing that ties together Digital Foci’s product offerings, it is their commitment to supporting almost every possible memory card format. From their Media Buddy (6 out of 10 – read review), to their Memory Card Travel Case (9 out of 10 – read review), Digital Foci seems intent on making their products appeal to the widest range of potential customers by supporting just about any media card you can think of.
The trend continues with their Memory Card Gateway. The USB 2.0 device supports a veritable laundry list of media types; Compact Flash I/II, MD, SM, MMC, SD Card, miniSD, MS, MS PRO, MS Duo, and MS PRO Duo.
I remember paying about $150 for a USB 1.0 Compact Flash card reader about 5 or 6 years ago, and $90 on a FireWire Compact Flash card reader maybe 3 years ago. Perhaps because of this, I am really impressed that somehow Digital Foci managed to cram support for this many different types of media into a device for only $25.
Over the years, my collection of gadgets relying on removable media has expanded from a merely “geeky� number to a “super geeky� number, and my collection of media cards has grown right along with it. These days, between my digital camera, camcorder, PSP, PDA and cel phone, I am very excited to have found a memory card reader that can bring a small amount of order to my life.
The Memory Card Gateway works as advertised, with no need for a software install. Once the Gateway is plugged into an available (and powered) USB 2.0 port, inserted memory cards simply show up on the desktop. Files can then be dragged around in the Finder, both from and TO the card. Additionally, if you have cards of different types inserted in the Gateway, you can actually drag files directly from one memory card to another. This is a cool feature, yet one I have been unable to figure out a need for. However, for some reason I like that I can. Additionally, the Memory Card Gateway works on Macs, PC, and Linux PCs, so you can actually use the Gateway as a bridge to move files between platforms over the fast USB 2.0 connection without dealing with the hassles of networking.
Conclusion
Available in three colors, the Memory Card Gateway is a solid performer. File transfers are extremely fast, and the broad range of supported media cards makes the Memory Card Reader an extremely versatile card reader as well. Support for Macs, PCs, and Linux computers pretty much means just about anyone with a computer and a device relying on removable media will find a use for the Memory Card Gateway.
Memory Card Gateway from Digital Foci
Price: $24.95
Pros: Fast USB 2.0 transfers, support for a wide range of media types, cheap
Cons: None significant
