14 DAY TRIAL // Since the dawn of IT, companies have periodically previewed or launched certain hybrid products or prototypes that did or did not manage to create their own niche market. The latest project revealed by PhotoFast seems to be one such device, as it is a product that merges the capabilities of two different flash-based devices, namely flash drives and memory cards. Basically, the device is a USB flash drive that has no storage space of its own but that can reach up to 64GB, depending on the number and type of memory cards plugged into it.
The card reader 'slash' flash drive has the name of GM5500X4 and is similar, in concept, to PhotoFast's CR-5500, which was launched in early December last year. Basically, the product converts microSD and microSDHC cards into a USB pen drive, up to four to be exact, regardless of capacity and transfer rates.
It should be noted that the adaptor only converts the real speed of the memory cards applied to it, which means that no transfer rates are actually marked on the adaptor. Nevertheless, considering the device's compatibility with USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 ports, it becomes obvious that data-transfer speeds will be limited to the interface's theoretical maximum of 480Mbps, or 12Mbps in the case of USB 1.1.
The adaptor will be able to plug in microSD cards of up to 4GB and microSDHC cards of up to 16GB. This means that, when four 16GB cards are used, the total storage space will reach 64GB. This functionality also implies a faster and easier way to transfer photos taken with a camera or to copy files on a storage card used by handheld electronics.
The PhotoFast GM5500X4 is compatible with the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7, as well as with Mac OS X. It is accompanied by a one-year warranty and will reach Japanese stores by the middle of May. No prices have been unveiled as of yet.