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Moshi Cardette Ultra
© 2010 KenRockwell.com. All rights reserved.

Intro   Specs   Performance   Recommendations

Moshi Cardette Ultra, Silver (reading a CF card as plugged into a 13" MacBook Pro). enlarge. I'd get it at Amazon for about $30.

July 2010     Nikon Reviews   Canon   Leica   Pentax

Introduction         top

Intro   Specs   Performance   Recommendations

I got this little Moshi Cardette Ultra card reader for travel. It's styled to match the MacBook Pro.

It's very light weight, and has a captive pigtail 2" (5cm) USB cable that folds up inside itself.

Slide back the bottom door, flip out the cord, plug it in your MacBook Pro (or any other computer), and you're ready to go.

Bottom, slid-open, revealing folded USB cord. bigger.

It also has two USB outputs, so when you use this card reader, you're gaining an extra USB port!

Specifications         top

Intro   Specs   Performance   Recommendations

Reads

CF, SD, XD, MS/Pro/Duo, M2 Micro SD, as marked on the reader.

As written in the press materials, it supports all series of CompactFlash (CF) and MicroDrive, all series of Memory Stick (MS, MS Duo, MS PRO Duo), M2, MultiMediaCard (MMC), SecureDigital (SD), micro SD / TF, eXtremeDigital (xD-Picture), and SecureDigital High Capacity (SDHC).

Interface

USB 2.0, no software needed.

Power

None, powered via the USB cable from your computer.

Exterior

Plastic and aluminum.

Color

Silver; also some other colors.

Weight

TBD; light.

Made in

Taiwan.

Top, Moshi Cardette Ultra.

Performance         top

Intro   Specs   Performance   Recommendations

The Moshi Cardette Ultra card reader works great. I only use it for reading CF cards; the MacBook Pro has the world's fastest SD card reader already built in with its own dedicated slot.

The Lexar Firewire 800 CF card reader is faster, but it's also much bigger and needs a separate Firewire 800 cord. The self-powered and larger Lexar reader also works fantastically in the field with a MacBook Pro, it's just more than I want to carry in my little bag. If I shoot a few hundred MB in a day, this little Moshi reader downloads just about immediately, and saves time by not having to carry, find and attach a separate Firewire cord as needed by the Lexar Firewire 800 CF card reader.

I don't use this reader to read anything other than CF cards, so I can't address those.

Here are actual test results:

2009 2.53 GHz 13" MacBook Pro, OS 10.6.4, Lexar 600x 32GB CF Card:

2006 Mac Quad 2.5 GHz G5 PowerMac, OS 10.4.11, Lexar 600x 32GB CF Card:

Analysis

On a new MacBook Pro, the USB connection is so fast that there isn't much difference between the Lexar Firewire 800 and this Moshi Cardette Ultra. This is great, because the Cardette Ultra is designed for use with the MacBook Pro; it's even styled just like it.

Oddly, the USB connection of the 2006 Quad G5 was way slower than on the MacBook, and the Firewire 800 connection was about twice as fast as the MacBook Pro, so on the Quad G5, the Lexar Firewire 800 is almost ten times faster. Therefore in my office, the Lexar Firewire 800 reader reigns.

Recommendations         top

Intro   Specs   Performance   Recommendations

I love the Moshi Cardette Ultra for travel because it's so small, works fast and has its own tethered cord.

In the studio I prefer the Lexar Firewire 800 CF card reader because it's faster, and has a solid, rubber-footed base for permanent placement on my desk.

This Moshi reader is great for the field. It looks just like a baby MacBook Pro, but it feels much flimsier. It's mostly plastic; the Moshi reader is not machined from a solid ingot of aluminum as is the MacBook Pro. The sliding bottom door of the Moshi reader is a bit flimsy and has no rubber feet as has a MacBook Pro; I would stick on my own rubber feet if I intended to use the Moshi reader in a fixed location for any length of time.

This Moshi reader is ideal for slipping in your bag and hitting the road. Bravo!

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Ken

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