Buffalo adds 16GB microSD card / reader to its line of incredibly small USB memory
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted Aug 7th 2009 1:29PM
posted Aug 7th 2009 1:29PM
We've seen Buffalo shrink USB drives down to preposterous sizes in the recent past, and now the company is throwing a microSD card reader into the mix. Available for ¥15,500.00 (that's $160, give or take) this guy stores 16GB internally, is available in both colors -- black AND white -- and would be right at home in any of your computer's favorite USB 2.0 ports. And just to get you started, this bad boy includes a 16GB card microSD card. How sweet is that?
[Via OhGizmo!]
[Via OhGizmo!]
Looks great, but I find small USB devices easy to lose.
Yeah hopefully that little MicroSD card stays in the USB dongle! It looks like there's a locking system but how strong it is is anyone's guess.
Yeah, I always put my spare microSDHC cards into the SD adapters so they don't mysteriously disappear !
I'm with sbrown on this one, if those cards don't lock in good and these try of products take off start keeping an eye out for lost microsd cards all over the place. The just hope somebody puts a diy ssd drive with a ton of microsd slots.
1. Weak lock
2. found cards
3. diy microsd ssd
4. ?????
5. Profit!
I know an easy way to lose $160.
$160. Really?!? For a memory card reader?
No thanks...
It's actually only 1500 yen, not 15,000 yen as Engadget fubared it up. I picked up one of these a couple months ago at the local PC Depot. It even comes with a 2GB micro-SD card, though it's still a bit pricey. They even have a mini-USB dongle that uses the exact same reader but the micro-SD card is glued in so you can't get it out.
FIX THE PRICE ENGADGET SO PEOPLE STOP TRIPPING OVER THE WRONG PRICE.
very cool
Agreed, very cool...
$160!?!? I'll wait for the $2 version on eBay without a brand name. If only they had them these small now! I had to get a small microSD reader for my new deck since it has a USB port. One this small would have been great but I had to settle for one that is a bit bigger.
No kidding, I have extra MicroSD to SDHC adapters lying around everywhere. why the hell would you get this?
I also have a $2 Sandisk Card reader which is only slightly bigger than this, and fits MicroSDHC and Memory Stick M2 cards... why would you get this?
It's $13 not $2 but here you go:
http://usb.brando.com/eagletec-usb-nanosac-micro-sd-card-reader_p00905c031d15.html
I'm guessing the $2 version wouldn't include the 16GB microSD card.
@Loonie: no it wouldn't but an 16 GB MicroSD card doesn't cost $160
$2.99 at amazon ;)
I'll co-sign anything that comes in Nano-USB form
I guess this might make sense if you don't have a media card slot on your computer. (otherwise a microSD-to-SD adapter is A LOT cheaper...)
The Yen figure nearly gave me a heart attack. At first I thought it was $15,500 USD. :|
this sounded like a really good deal until i realized that a 16GB Micro SDHC card is only $50 on newegg. $120 for a card reader. no thanks ill just use my MicroSD to SD adapter thanks.
That is truly awesome - I might have to get me one of those.
I'm still amazed every time I see my 16gb Micro SD.
Just checked on eBay they have ones called "VX Nano" for only $10 and they are this size. I'll wait until they are at least $5, I'm sure all the Chinese factories will start cranking these out, eBay is flooded with ones double the size (which is still small!)
Look what I found!
http://cgi.ebay.com/Min-USB-2-0-Micro-SD-SDHC-TF-T-Flash-Card-Reader-Writer_W0QQitemZ290337102978QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item4399709c82&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
$3.69
I want a less ugly version though.
Heck, you already get uSD/USB adapters that are nearly this small for "free" with other inexpensive cards. Until thatrotierkid's comment I thought it was a $160 card with a free reader.
tbh im not impressed with this piece of tech. I got an kingston micro sd card reader thats pretty much the same price for $5 and i also got a Sandisk Mobile mate which is only slightly bigger then the buffalo one but reads microSD and M2 again only cost $5
Agreed. I have 3 of them, because they're practically free if you get it in combo with the card itself. Yeah, they don't yet sell a Kingston 32GB MicroSD, but the 8 GB ones are the same price as regular 8GB SD. The Kingston adapter is a tad bigger than the Buffalo one, but it's small enough to leave in the USB port if you wanted. And you won't lose it if you drop it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.aspx?CurImage=20-134-755-07.jpg&Image=20-134-755-04.jpg%2c20-134-755-05.jpg%2c20-134-755-06.jpg%2c20-134-755-07.jpg%2c20-134-755-08.jpg%2c20-134-755-03.jpg&S7ImageFlag=0&WaterMark=1&Item=N82E16820134755&Depa=1&Description=Kingston%20FCR-MRB%201%20card%20USB%202.0%20MicroSD%20Reader
Dang, Mike, you must have heard of tinyurl?!
You still don't need it for a netbook, since they all come with flush-mount SD card readers. Just get yourself a 32GB SDHC card ($70 @ Newegg, maybe cheaper elsewhere) and you're set, for half the cost.
great just another thing to loose... lol
No, both the cards and the USB adapters they sit in are generally pretty tight.
guys, the card reader has 16GB embedded in it in addition the microSDHC card you can put in it. that's why it is so pricey. i had to read it twice to realize this
From what I'm reading, it is *only* a card reader + a 16GB card. I don't see anywhere that it states the *reader* has 16GB built into it + room for an additional card...
yeah, he's right. you can't tell from the engadget article, but if you read the original stuff, the 16gb (also available in 4gb and 2gb) is internal memory separate from the card.
Is this impressive? cellphones have even smaller mechanisms that this usb port. It's kind of cool but once you figure it out, it's still kind of big.
Also a newsflash. This wont be available in the states. buffallo has shut down any business related to memory/storage in the US Aug 1st. biz as usual overseas.
Like other businesses, Between the dollar and the fact that we're overextended americans. industry is bypassing the weak spending power of americans for the broke but more plentiful addressable market in EMEA.
This comment is full of win. It sounds like the Dr. Zoidberg comment about the stock:
"Once again, the conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor!"
I don't mind the form-factor here, because it almost turns your USB port into a permanent micro-SD reader if you leave it in there. In fact, it looks like you'd have a bugger of a time getting it out once it was plugged in.
Note as well that not only is the card HUGE for micro-SD, it's also a C4. You could use this in an adapter for HD video in a Canon Vixia, then view on your phone...
Would be handy for reading/backing up photos and stuff while travelling. Finding 1 usb port is usually hard enough in dodgy web cafes.
This would also be very useful for the Marvell plug-computing platform.
Ebay + 32 GB Card = $70
With 16GB MicroSDHC - US$ 67.00
http://usb.brando.com/eagletec-usb-nanosac-micro-sd-card-reader_p00905c031d15.html
shit, misread your post XD
Guys I don't think you're getting this. It sounds like it has 16gigs BUILT IN, AS WELL as a 16gig card. That's 32gigs if I read it right, which makes this a pretty good deal.
Go to the original website and it actually calls it a "Card reader" and says "16GB microSD card included". They have some that have memory built into them and the website calls those "USB memory". Every other instance of "Card reader" on the website indicates it only reads off the add on memory - no internal memory.
$160 is pricey, but damn this thing so badass that it's almost worth it. 16GB internal + MicroSD slot + 16GB MicroSD? I want.
$160 is pricey, but damn this thing is so badass that it's almost worth it. 16GB internal + MicroSD slot + 16GB MicroSD? I want.
its too bad sandisk doesnt make the USB/SD card that doesn't require any adapters (just fold down half of the card for USB connector. Wish I had bought more of those
yeah very nice. but I'd probably rather spend 120$ on a good 1TB external hdd.
the price makes it look pointless.
to the people who are saying it's just a microsdhc reader bundled with a 16gb card, you're wrong. it's a combination 16gb flash drive/microsdhc reader... bundled with a 16gb card. so, you're getting 32gb of memory for 130 bucks. not bad. not bad at all, considering the size.