Full Review

5 March 2008 - Some gadgets are more practical than desirable and a memory card reader certainly falls into this category. However, rather than just a small box with port slots, Kingston has added a hint of style to this device.

For starters, it has been designed for use on the move as well as on your desk. On the move, simply pull back the housing and you'll find a 3-inch USB connector that plugs directly into your notebook.

Once connected you'll find an LED light signifies it is connected and ready to use. You don't need to install drivers, as whenever you insert a card Windows will automatically log it with a drive letter. From there it works exactly the same as any other drive, with an icon appearing in your My Computer panel.

When in the office, you can attach a standard USB cable; a 1-metre one is supplied, so can be hooked directly up to your tower PC.

This versatile device supports five slots, which offers support for 19 different Flash card formats. These range from the larger cards CompactFlash Type I and II, for your digital camera to the most common SD and SDHC cards used in most devices, to the whole range of micro cards used in phones, including miniSD, miniSDHC, microSD and microSDHC. For a full list, check the website prior to buying.

VERDICT
The Kingston Media Reader works exceedingly well and with a card range of support this is as versatile as you are likely to find.

The fact it's designed for the traveller as well as the desk makes it a great choice for all.