SilverStone SST-SDP01 6-in-1 Portable Card Reader

Introduction:

As demand for devices such as digital cameras continue to increase over the years, so does the demand for digital media. With power hungry products like digital cameras, energy should be conserved in any way possible. Many cameras offer the conventional USB cable for file transfer from the unit to the PC requiring the camera to be powered on during the process. Some have offered docking bays as a solution for power drain during file transfers, however, docking bays are often bulky and expensive. Currently, the best method for file transfer may very well be card readers. By using a card reader, the user transfers the file from the media directly into the PC without ever having to hit power on the camera. Card readers go far beyond just camera usage. They also can be used to move files between PC's and MP3 players or devices such as PDA's.

As there are numerous brands in digital media, consumers face the same dizzying selection of card readers. Readers come in single format flavors all the way to six format readers; they're offered as internal solutions as well as external portables. Names such as Dazzle, Lexar, Sandisk, and Smartdisk are just a small handful of the many companies offering card reader solutions to the digital consumer. Recently, an upstart company called SilverStone Technology jumped into the melee with the introduction of their own 6-in-1 media card reader, the SST-SDP01. Does this small company have what it takes to survive in a cut throat computer industry? Read on to find out. Before I go into specifics, lets take a look at the specifications from the reader's box.

First Impression:

The SST-SDP01 read came with an aluminum enclosure, a cable to connect the enclosure to the motherboard header, mounting screws and a drivers disc.

The first thought that crossed my mind when I got ahold of this reader was that SilverStone definitely has something special on their hands. This unit, easily sets itself apart from the competition with both internal and external installation capabilities. The reader's enclosure functions as a docking bay for installation into the PC. The reader itself can function completely outside of the PC independent of the enclosure. The enclosure itself offers a spare USB port for easy access to USB functions via the front of the PC - a BIG plus in my book.

When outside of its enclosure, the reader can be directly connected to any USB port via a retractable plug. As mentioned before, it has the ability to support a multitude of digital media formats - Compact Flash, Micro Drive, Smart Media, Secure Digital, Multimedia Card, and Memory Stick. It takes advantage of the more current USB2.0 platform allowing it higher transfer speeds (of course the speed capability of the digital media in use also plays a part).

Notice next to the retractable USB plug, is a USB interface used to dock into the enclosure.

Here's some pictures of the spring retention mechanism for docking the reader. Let's move on to the installation.