Tag : media reader, 2 0, firewire audio, hub, 1 flash, removable 9

Company : List Price : $49.99 Amazon Price : Used Price : Average customer review :

Features

• Internal unit installs into a 5.25″ Drive Bay - External unit requires a USB port only
• Removable 9-in-1 Flash Media Reader/Writer
• 1 Front Firewire®/ IEEE 1394 Port - 3 Front USB 2.0 Ports
• Headphone Jack - Microphone Jack - 2 LED lights indicate Power and Operating Status
• Supports 9 Types of Flash Memory

Product Description

Provides up-front ports for firewire, USB 2.0, Audio and also houses the removable 9 in 1 memory reader/writer. The removable reader/writer works externally on any USB port. 5.25″ hub requires a computer with USB, audio and firewire internal connections. External removable memory card reader works inside 5.25 hub, as well as externally in any usb port.

Customer reviews

Beyond My Expectations
I am amazed by technology today, so many choices. I have the 80GB Ipod Video player, and i use the Neuro Recorder, to record tv, movies, and dvd’s onto a 2GB media card. I use this product for the transfers. This media reader writer, is a time saver, as well as a life saver for my situation. I just insert the SD card in one of the 9 ports available,and my itunes immediately recognizes the quicktime format, and i just drag that file into itunes to upload into my ipod. Like i said, this is a great time to be alive, so many choices.I embrace change, i embrace technology, i embrace this product, for making my life, easier.

Very poor engineering
I just installed this. To huge problems:

1) the 5 1/4 bays in my computer require bottom screws to hold the hard disk. Hard disks always have these, but this unit ONLY has the places for screws on the side. There was no satisfactory way to screw the unit to the slider.

2) The audio cables are UNSHIELDED! The microphone/headphone cables are the standard co-axial, but the connector to the box is a straight pin type which places the the headphone/microphone wires right nest to the USB digial lines. I plugged a USB hard disk in, and the USB data transfer causes an audible noise in the headphones.

When I plug speakers in, every file transfer makes a rumble in the speakers! Lets say you have an expensive sound card, you just lost every advantage the sound card had because the degredation takes it down to the cheapest sound card levels.

I am taking it back, and this bugs me because I have to drive back to the store, not to mention the hassle of wiring the thing up.

Idiotic product
I expected this to plug into an inside USB port, doing the obvious by giving me more of everything. That would be a terrific way to freshen up an old box. I was stunned to see that it came with 4 USB cables intended to snake through the box and come out the back through an open plate. Then I was supposed to plug these four cables into ports magically available on the back. Completely idiotic - have they never heard of something called a hub?

As soon as I saw the cables and the installation diagram I packed it up and returned it.

Misleading description
The “internal” part of this unit is a joke. While you have to mount it into a drive bay, there is no capability to use internal USB or Firewire connections that are available within your PC. You must remove the cover from an empty PCI slot, run the supplied cables through your computer and out through the PCI slot opening, and plug the unit in using USB and firewire plugs on your PC’s back panel.