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Brando 32- in- 1 Card Reader and USB Hub Combo


Date
: 10/8/06 – 01:32:17 AM

Author
:

Category
: Input Devices

Page 1 : Introduction

A few weeks ago, we took a look at Brando's 23-in-1 USB Card Reader with a built-in USB hub and while it was fairly convenient, we did find quite a number of downfalls which hindered the overall product. Today we are going to take a look at yet another card reader and USB hub combo from Brando, only this time 32-in-1.

32-in-1 is quite a bit, but unfortunately that is not the case. Compact Flash type I, II, III are various forms of Compact Flash and same with Secure Digital Ultra, Pro, Ultra II and so on. This card reader really only supports nine formats: Compact Flash (CF), Memory Stick (MS), Secure Digital (SD), Smart Media (SM), Extreme Digital (xD) and with the addition of an adapter, Memory Stick Duo (MS-Pro), HS-Memory Stick (HS-MS), SD Mini and T-Flash. Regardless of the technicalities with the product's true capabilities, this card reader is truly an all-in-one type device. Unfortunately, the adapter required in order to use the additional four types of memory cards is not listed on Brando's site.

Page 2 : Package and Contents

Unlike the 23-in-1, the 32-in-1 comes in a sealed clamshell package. Behind the clear plastic is a cardboard backing with a bubble-like design along with features.

The back lists even more information including various types of memory card support, features, specifications and contents included with the package.

Sealed packages are great for keeping pesky fingers out, but are also hard to open!

Recently, glossy white has become an extremely popular finish for all types of products. Generally, products which follow this trend are designed to be not only visually appealing, but simplistic. Unfortunately, this does not hold true with the Brando 32-in-1 card reader and USB hub. While the majority of it is designed well, there are a few very obvious eye sores such as the glowing pad, inward-extruded labels and the clear plastic cover for the LEDs. It is often said that less is more, and this device is a textbook example of how not to design a product.

Of course we can't judge a product based on its looks so let's continue on with the review! As stated earlier this device is a combination of a card reader and a USB hub. The USB headers are placed off to the side.

The card reader slots are parallel to the USB connectors on the opposite side of the device.

The USB connector to attach to the computer is located at the rear of the device along with an external power connector.

Page 3 : Specifications

Here is a list of features and specifications taken from Brando's website:

I am not a big fan of the blue EL light, but the compact size of this device makes it excellent for use on the go!

Page 4 : Installation

Installing the Brando 32-in-1 card reader and USB hub is no different than the last Brando card reader we took a look at, or any other USB device for that matter. In fact, Brando even included a manual just in case! Once a spot is chosen for the device, simply plug in both ends of the USB cable; one end attached to the device and the other to a USB port on the computer.

This device does not actually need drivers to function, the drivers only change the icons in 'My Computer' for easy identification, but for the sake of this review we will install them anyways.

Brando thinks quite highly of this device, so without further delay, let's see how it performs!

Page 5 : Testing

Anytime you split a connection to allow multiple devices, performance is sacrificed. How much though is what we will explore today. We will begin by taking a look at system specifications:

As always, before and after each test is run, the storage medium is formatted twice to ensure accuracy and fairness. We will be running four tests today, three synthetic: HD Tach RW, HD Tune, and ATTO, we will also be running a real world test: Disk Bench.

We will first start off with HD Tach RW. HD Tach RW is a quick yet very reliable and accurate piece of software which tests average read/write speeds, CPU utilization, and random access time.

The CF and SD cards performed fairly well and considerably closer to their actual rated speeds in comparison to Brando's 23-in-1 card reader. The Buffalo USB drive also performed very well.

Next we will take a look at HD Tune.

There is a slight discrepancy in comparison to HD Tatch which is probably caused by the different testing methods, however these numbers are still fairly good.

To wrap up our synthetic benchmarks, we will look at ATTO Diskbench.

[qute]512MB ATP SD card[/quote]

Again, these results remain consistent.

We will finish off our testing section with a real world situation benchmark, DiskBench. DiskBench is an extremely simple benchmark, it performs an operation and records the time it takes to complete that operation and then outputs the results. Simple and to the point!

It is always nice to see real world results on par with synthetic results and this is exactly the case here with the SD and CF card. The Buffalo USB drive performed slightly worse, but is consistent with the results in our review of the USB drive earlier.

Unlike our write results, our read results from DiskBench show a significant increase in performance for both memory cards.

Minus the fact that software testing methods are not perfect, they do provide a fairly good ballpark number; this card reader is not your typical card reader, it is
fast
. Now that we are done testing, head over to the next page for the conclusion.

Page 6 : Conclusion

When it comes to peripherals, for most people, looks are just as important as performance. Brando's 32-in-1 card reader performs very well, but its looks are questionable. Some may like the blue glow and imitation buttons, while others may find it too bold and out of place. While we are not here to judge a product based on its looks, such a product could drive away potential buyers.

Overall, Brando has put together quite a product. This card reader and USB hub combo is speedy, small, and most of all, extremely convenient. For those who are a fan of the appearance, look no further because this card reader is sure to please!

Advantages

Good performance
Wide range of support for memory cards

Disadvantages

Price

Overclockers Online would like to thank Brando for providing the review sample.