Digital Home Thoughts: SanDisk Launches New ImageMate Memory Card Readers

"SanDisk Corporation today announced that it has shipped the latest editions of its popular SanDisk ImageMate® memory card readers, which provide enhanced user experience through increased efficiency and faster data transfer rates. The new readers have shipped to retailers in North America and are available for purchase at this time. Faster, smaller and sleeker than their predecessors, and featuring upgraded software applications, the new ImageMate All-In-One and Multi-Card readers quickly and conveniently transfer data between a wide range of memory card formats and a host computer. The All-In-One memory card reader can reach speeds of up to 34 megabytes per second (MB/s)1 when using a SanDisk Extreme IV 45MB/s CompactFlash® card, and the Multi-Card reader is capable of up to 30MB/s2 read and 27 MB/s write data transfer rates when using a SanDisk Extreme III 30MB/s Edition SDHC card. Sporting a stylish glossy black and metallic silver design, each reader's tripod base is detachable, creating instant portability."

There's nothing particularly exciting about memory card readers, but I've got to hand it to SanDisk for trying to sex 'em up. Note that I've adjusted the photo above, lessening the shadow tones, because SanDisk's PR people thought it was a good idea to release images where it was impossible to see the slots. The bigger of the two, which has support for SD, SDHC, miniSDHC, microSDHC, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Duo, xD and CompactFlash, will sell for $29.99 USD. The smaller one on the right supports xD, Memory Stick, SD, SDHC, MMC, and will sell for $19.99 USD.