Last Updated 25/Oct/2009
Review: Trust Mini Card Reader for Mac and Windows
Iain Laskey checks out a neat little card reader for users on the move.
| Product | Mini Card Reader for Mac and Windows |
|---|---|
| Company | Trust |
| Web | www.trust.com |
| Price | £12.99 |
| We like | Compact, works well, price |
| We don't like | plasticky/fragile look |
| Rating | 8/10 |
| Requirements | Apple Mac, Windows 2000, XP, Vista |
The world is awash with card readers. They come in all shapes and sizes. The Mini Card Reader from Trust is probably one of the smallest though.
With support for MMC, Memory Stick and Secure Digital plus all the variations thereof, this device is aimed mainly at digital camera or mobile phone users where these sort of cards are most prevalent.
The Trust is about the size of a USB memory stick and has 4 slots, two on one side and two at the end. The fourth slot allows for the support of both mini and micro Secure Digital variants.
Trust seem a little confused about this product. The copy we were sent clearly said Mac only but their web site identifies it as being for both Mac and Windows. We tested it with Vista and it worked absolutely fine with no need for further drivers.
As well as the card reader, the package includes a short USB extender to provide additional flexibility when using it with desktops instead of laptops.
The initial impressions were of a rather plasticky device. Whatever is inside must be a tight fit as one edge appeared to be straining to pop open but despite our tugging at the two halves of the shell, it stayed resolutely intact and is clearly rather tougher than it appears. A removable cap protects the USB connector when not in use.
Once plugged in, the reader was identified immediately and installed using Vista's built in drivers. Two new drives appeared in Windows Explorer to allow access to cards after they've been inserted.
In Use
We tried the unit with both Mini and Micro SD cards and had no problems at all. It just worked, as would be expected. Transfer speeds were fine although our Mini SD card isn't one of the fastest anyway. When reading, a small blue LED reassuringly lets you know it's working.
Conclusion
We liked the Trust Mini Card Reader. It's well priced and does what it says on the tin. We'd have liked support for other common standards such as Compact Flash but that would probably have increased the size somewhat. As long as your memory cards are in the supported list, you'll find this pocket sized unit will handle your data transfer needs admirably.
