Bridging The Flash Format Gap With Multi-Format Readers/ Writers

SanDisk - ImageMate Dual Card Reader - SDDR-73-07 & SDDR-75-07

The SanDisk SDDR-73-07 and SDDR-75-07 offers three format Multi-Format card readers. SanDisk is in the process of updating their Flash Card Reader/ Writer offerings.

SanDisk is often referred to as the "Father" of mass marketing of Flash Memory. While this might not be totally accurate, SanDisk has had a significant effect on the direction and the development of flash memory technology for a long time. SanDisk is clearly a leader in providing flash memory modules, and it is no surprise that they have taken their expertise and applied it to the development of a variety of flash card readers/ writers.

When we first contacted SanDisk about this review, they seemed excited to participate, but at the same time we detected a note of sadness. We discovered that the sadness came from the fact that their new ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0 Reader/ Writer would not be ready in time for this review. With the ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0's slick looking design and very cool-looking docking station, it looks to be an excellent unit to check out when it is available this November. Hopefully, we will be able to evaluate one of these soon so that we can give you the full scoop on this new product.

We could not resist this chance to show you the ImageMate 6-In-1 USB 2.0 because of its cool look. We think SanDisk's innovative idea of moving to a docking station could be the missing link to bridge the gap between portability and external usefulness. We will have to wait for SanDisk to release it in November to take a more thorough look at it.

In the meantime, the show must go on, and SanDisk asked us to take a look at their ImageMate products. At first glance, we were not sure that the SDDR-73-07 and the SDDR-75-07 would meet our review criteria of being able to support at least three formats, but we are happy to report that each does, in fact, support three formats. The SDDR-75-07 and the SDDR-73-07 are nearly the same units, except for the difference in the top slot in each unit.

The SDDR-75-07 supports CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrive, and SmartMedia, while the SDDR-73-07 supports CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrive, MultiMedia Card, and Secure Digital Media.

A close-up look at the SDDR-75-07, which supports CompactFlash Type I and II, Microdrive, and Smart Media formats. Quality of construction and a unique shape are two of the trademarks that you will find in SanDisk's offerings.

The ImageMate is a very compact unit, with an attractive rounded design. The ImageMate has its short USB cable attached to the unit and this cable is able to be tucked into a groove that surrounds the bottom of the unit. This makes it easy to store the cable, should you want to take the ImageMate on a road trip. SanDisk does include an extension cable for situations where the built-in cable is too short.

The unit includes a single, long rubber foot on the bottom of the unit to prevent it from sliding around a desk. While this solution proved to work better than the Kingston unit, the ImageMate still had to be grasped and held in place to insert or remove the flash cards from the unit due to their close fit.

The ImageMate offer three lights on the unit. Two of the lights toward the front of the unit indicate that a card is mounted in the slot, while the light in the rear indicates that the unit is ready for use. Beyond these lights, the unit is rather plain except for the large red SanDisk logo on the top of the unit.

The ten-page user's manual that arrived with the ImageMate, which covers the entire ImageMate series, was the best when compared to all of the other product user manuals that we received. We were very impressed by the amount of information in the ImageMate-included manual, and would like to see a manual of this quality and scope included with other units. The ImageMate is compatible with Windows 98/ME/2000/XP, as well as Mac.

We found the ImageMate to be an excellent product. It offers a good introduction for the novice user, but it is robust enough for the expert who does not need the flexibility that a 6-In-1 device offers. The ImageMate has an attractive price point at $29.95 US, as well as wide availability, that you might not find with other units.