There are tons of digital gadgets these days, and many of them require an SD card (or other flash memory) for storage. Every company has some initiative that they’re going to create some proprietary form factor, but this ends up hurting the consumer.
We have over 10 different flash memory standards, and each of these have their own variations. Because of all the confusion, there are now “52-in-1” card readers to handle the most popular flash memory types, and they don’t cover everything (like the new xD memory).
It is a big pain to carry around a flash card reader. It’s just one more thing we have to carry in our digital arsenal, as the average geek has about five or six devices already. Many of us have come across a situation where we want to take some data with us, but it would be a pain in the ass to cradle our device, wait for it to synch, or we simply cannot locate the adapter. We end up just “doing without” that little piece of data before heading out the door. Why can’t there be a better solution?
It’s like ten-thousand spoons, when all you need is a knife…
OCZ addresses this ever-growing problem by introducing a Secure Digital Flash card with a built-in standard USB interface. This card is a virtual Swiss-Army knife of flash memory, plugging directly into a standard USB port. The direct USB connection offers direct access to the stored data without the need for drivers or adapters. In addition, the direct USB interface bypasses the slow SD interface, allowing the memory to perform at its full potential.
Specifications
- Observed dimensions: 32 x 24 x 2mm
- 80x speed
- Secure Digital (SD) Memory compliant
- USB 2.0 compliant
- Write protection switch
- Lifetime warranty
- Available in 2GB and 1GB sizes
There are different speed grades for SD cards, which are measured with the same system as CD-ROMs, in multiples of 150 KB/s. Basic cards transfer data up to 6 times as fast (900 KB/s) as the standard CD-ROM speed. High-speed cards are made with higher data transfer rates like 66x (10 MB/s), and high-end cards have speeds of 150x or higher. Some digital cameras require high-speed cards to record video smoothly or capture multiple still photographs in rapid succession. Most devices today comply to the SD card specification 1.01, with maximum speed of 66x. Higher speeds of up to 133x are defined by specification 1.1.
Since the OCZ SD Duo as two interfaces, it was tested twice with each benchmark program (one using the SD interface, and another time using the USB interface). The SD interface was tested using an internal 8-in-1 card reader, with a direct connection to a USB 2.0 port. The OCZ SD Duo was tested on a PC with the specifications below.
- AMD 3800+ X2
- Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard
- 2GB Corsair DDR-400
- 8-in-1 flash card reader (USB 2.0)
SanDisk mini SD 1GB
OCZ Duo (SD Interface)
OCZ Duo (USB Interface) The card is able to reach its rated speed of 80x (12MB a second), but only through the direct USB interface. Real-world usage yields an average 40x speed (6MB a second).
SD memory is limited to 4-bit chunks, which is probably the limiting factor, and the cause of the lower bandwidth. In real world use, however, this is plenty fast for most digital cameras, unless you’re taking uncompressed photos 3 times a second (in which case you probably have a camera with a CompactFlash interface).
The OCZ SD Duo is extremely innovative by integrating an interface compatible with standard USB 2.0 ports. This not only helps the field photographer, but the average consumer who wants to load up (or rip) their cards, but don’t have a card reader on hand.
The card’s full potential is reached via the direct USB interface, but performance is reduced by about half when using the SD interface. Also, the sleeve that covers the male USB header can be easily lost (although the card will still function properly without it).
2GB is adequate for many devices today, but 4GB and 8GB SD cards are starting to emerge. If you need a faster interface, OCZ also offers fast 133x and 150x SD cards.
If you don’t have (or just don’t want to mess with) card readers, then the OCZ SD Duo is a must-have.
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