Delkin's SD-XTRA rocks the USB
By Peter Rojas 
posted Feb 19th 2005 5:10PM
posted Feb 19th 2005 5:10PM
Remember that SD/USB combo memory card from SanDisk that you could just pop right into any USB port? Not sure if they've swiped the idea from SanDisk (or whoever it was that first came up with this) or they were already working on it themselves, but Delkin's busted out their own SD card with a built-in USB 2.0 connector, the SD-XTRA. Unlike the SanDisk, there's no folding hinge to break, just a removable cover to lose. Comes in sizes ranging from 128MB up to 1GB.
I would rather get the SanDisk one. It seems on this one that the end could fall off and get lost and the memory card is completely useless. The SanDisk verison is all 1 piece so you won't loose the detachable (or bendable) end.
sorry but you are implying that the 'cap' on the usb part of the card is also the part that has the contacts for the SD use of the card, you are wrong. An SD card has its contacts located at the end where there is a notch out of one corner (I just checked on my PDA one that I use to make sure).
Besides, if for some odd reason the contacts were on the other end, the cap would have to have contacts on the inside where it touches the USB - in which case they would be visible in the photo (which they are not).
Hate to have a great removeable media product unfairly disadvantaged....
...And if you mean that if you lose the cap you can't use it as an SD card because it is too short to normally use, this would also be untrue because the USB part would still be the standard full length of the card...
looks pretty clean...I'm a bit worried about the cap, also though.
I have one and I made an experiment by purposely misplacing it to see if I can still use.
But then, I soon realized that I misplaced the card part instead of the cap part, and now I cannot find the card part and am left only with the cap part.
The only issue with the cap is weather or not the back would stick out enough without the cap to still allow you to pull the card out. It looks like it will be plenty long without the cap in place. So heck, just throw away the dumb cap! It's pointless any ways. Your card can be pulled out without it and it should work just fine. If you pull the card out alot with dirty fingers, it *might* effect the connectors. But if you're fingers are that nasty, you shouldn't touch your memory card any ways! ;)
I have to say, I think I'll make sure the next SD memory card I buy is one of these. But I just got a 1GB card for $75 on Ebay, so I can't imagine buying another card anytime soon! With cards this big, who needs more then 1? Still, I *LOVE* the idea. Very cool! Now we just need a Memory Stick Duo with the same connector, for the upcoming US release of the PSP!
Did they licence the usb plug fro PQI as i had a relay thin USB memory stick from PQI which used a connector like that but then i lost it,
This is clearly where the market is headed: a convergence of cards and flash drives. Being able to move one media card through multiple devices will be critical to the medium's success.
Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com
Probably the only other Flash format that will have this feature will be Memory Stick. CF is too big for this kind of stuff, XD is too small, SM is way too thin.
Well, looks like the wait is over.
http://www.delkin.com/store/customer/product.php?productid=233&cat=60&page=1