does anybody have one of these? i need one for my laptop,needs to be small and compact and slots that work, (with nails)
Your cost depends on the format you want to read cards, and how many very different cards you want to give it -- however, this often doesn't matter, as it's dog *** cheap either way. But, you DO need to make sure your card is among them, but it's pretty unlikely it isn't. But, if you need a SINGLE device to provide acess to over a dozen (different format) cards that you need to insert in that divice, that is a significant part of it's cost. If you're need it for that To insert a plethoria of different memory cards, from rare to common. After that, cost only has to do with interface (or transfer rate) Such as, do you desire a PCMCIA interface, USB interface (external thing hanging off laptop) and do you care about how long it takes that USB interfance to take to copy, assuming your laptop fits specifications. Time, in this case (transfer rates) usually isn't a big deal in this case, unless you are transferring a lot of cards to the laptop. But it is a big part of cost. For a single 512 mb filled card, you're talking like, 50 seconds vs 10 seconds. 1 card, no big deal, but if you plan on taking dozens/hundreds of cards to that laptop, then it's a concern. This is where USB 1.0/2.0 (and laptop) and PCMCIA comes into concern. (The interface/transfer rate) Memory card readers are just really cheap. The other ones have added features that make them expensive -- like the interface (PCMCIA) transfer rates, and allowing a single device to accept a multitude of different cards. It this a necessity? To answer your question more precisely, Good here just means what your needs are. If it fits your style memory card, then it'll do it. One can't do it better. It can do it faster, or a different one, or be cosmetically different but just goes back to what your needs are. As far as brands/etc that's nonsense difference. (Often they even use the exact same chipsets too)