Innovative - Sandisk SD Plus

2007.04.19

Memory cards are a commodity now. They are cheaper than ever and there are lots of companies that make them and even more that sell them. In a domain where competition is mainly focused on price, it is rare to find standout products like the Sandisk SD Plus memory cards. What is special, and particularly useful, of a Sandisk SD Plus card is that it has an integrated USB connector.

The integrated USB connector, accessed by folding the SD Plus card in half, makes it possible to take this SD card from the camera directly to a computer's USB port. No card reader is required, only a standard USB port. Compared to connecting a digital camera to a computer, it is more convenient. Not only does it save power, but it also saves having to carry a USB cable for the camera.

Even those without a digital camera can find an SD Plus card useful. The builtin USB connector makes this one of the smallest USB drive available. Some SD Plus cards ship with a special key-chain which serves to hold, protect and carry the SD Plus card outside of a digital camera. In terms of value, there are lots of cheaper SD cards, from famous and not-so-famous brands. However, the SD Plus cards belongs to Sandisk's high-performance Ultra II series which features an official specification of at least 9 MB/s write speed. In practice, we measured the write-speed through the USB interface to be 1537 KB/s and the read speed to be 6858 KB/s. Another factor to consider is that SD Plus cards currently come with a lifetime guaranty from Sandisk.

• Technology