Compact Flash USB Memory Card Readers

I love my digital cameras, the rewards of owning one are many, but when it comes time to transfer the pictures from the camera to the computer, I find myself putting it off.  Finding the camera’s transfer wire, hooking it to the camera, putting the battery back into the camera so it can transfer the files and turning the camera on.  Not that bad, really, but for some reason, all of these steps are aggravating and to put it plainly, a pain in the butt.  So when my friend came over the other day to let me download some pictures we took while out having fun, I was thrilled when she handed me her Ativa Compact Flash Card Reader.  The memory card from her Nikon camera already in the slot and all I had to do was pop it into the usb port on the back of my Mac and presto, up pops iPhoto and all of the pictures on her Compact Flash Memory Card!

It was the coolest thing, lightweight and the see through orange plastic shell made it easy to see that the memory card was inside.  I also liked the idea of having a separate small usb cord that attached separately to the Card Reader.  All of my usb ports are on the back of my computer screen and I already have the other slots taken up with my printer and wireless keyboard/mouse.  If I had to plug in a reader with the usb plug right on the unit and memory card sticking out, it would have been harder to manipulate  (I’ve done this before with other types of usb plugs, not always a smooth endeavor).  To top off the ease and convenience of this wonderful little unit, she only paid $8.00 for it!  I was sold.  What I really liked was that it is so portable to put in you laptop case or backpack and carry with you, it doesn’t take up any room and has basically no weight to it at all.  This is remarkable technology for a price that anyone can afford.

I tried to find the same Ativa Compact Flash Card Reader online, but was not successful.  I did however, find something similar, which is the Lexar USB CompactFlash Memory Card Reader. This is the same concept as my friends Ativa unit, except that instead of sliding open the plastic cover and inserting the memory card, the Lexar has an open end where you slide in the memory card.  The card sticks out partially so that it can be removed when done.  I liked the Ativa model better in this area, since you could leave the memory card inside the unit and pull it out later when you needed it to take more pictures.  I would worry that the card would fall out with the Lexar so I would be empelled to remove and store it each time, leaving me with two items to transport separately.

I highly recommend one of these portable little readers, they are great to have around and is one less component that has a permanent footprint on your computer desk (unless you want it to). Many others that used them feel the same way, they love them, their ease of use and their reliability.

Product Details for the Lexar USB CompactFlash Memory Card Reader:

Features:

• Portable Design
• Plug and Play
  
• Type I and Type II CompactFlash cards
• No External AC power needed
• Saves Camera Batteries

Dimensions: 8 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches  ;  4.8 ounces

System Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows 98SE (requires drivers)/2000/Me/XP
• Mac OS X 10.1 or Mac OS 8.6 or greater
• Available USB Port
• 5MB Hard Disk Space

The Lexar USB CompactFlash Memory Card Reader is even cheaper than the Ativa brand, at a price of around $4.99 and less, why wouldn’t you want to own one.  If you’re in the market for something like this, here’s the link to order from Amazon, or check out some others that may appeal to your tastes even more.

Order the Lexar USB (CF) Memory Card Reader thru this Link