More and more devices these days use flash memory, and flash memory card just keep getting smaller to fit into all of these various devices. Cellphones, PDA’s, cameras, all sorts of devices use different types of cards, but the microSD cards are just really starting to catch on, especially with cellphones and other specialty devices. If you need a flash card, there are many choices out there, but why not get one that is a bit tougher than all the others. ATP makes all their flash cards weatherproof, dust proof, ESD proof and extreme temperature resistant.. Today for review I have one of their new offerings, it is a nice little 3-in-1 combo setup, with 256Mb microSD card, microSD to SD adapter, and microSD portable USB reader/storage. Read on to learn more…

ATP 256Mb 3-in-1 microSD combo

Reviewed by: Kristofer Brozio

Sponsor: ATP

Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:

microSD Combo

The 3-in-1 microSD combo provides a total mobile data solution for most mobile handsets on the market today with removable memory card slots. With the microSD flash card inside the USB enclosure, you have a fully functional USB pen drive, whereas outside the USB enclosure, you have a normal flash memory card fully usable by its compatible host devices.

Rated at 80X (12 MB/s), the microSD card speeds up file transfers and facilitates video and gaming capabilities of your mobile phones. These next generation phones are loaded with megapixel cameras, video recording functions and MP3 playing functions, all of which require larger, dependable storage solutions. Built with ATPs distinctive SIP (System-in-Package) technology, this card is fully water, dust, and ESD proof as well as extreme temperature (-40 to 85C) resistant.

The microSD reader is a direct high speed USB interface between your microSD cards and your USB host device. The unit is fully compatible with USB specifications version 1.1 and 2.0, fully supporting both USB high speed mode (480Mbps) and USB standard speed mode (12Mbps). It also supports Hot Plug & Play, which enables you to install and uninstall without the need for a reboot.

Both USB reader and the enclosed microSD become a full featured USB flash drive, giving you another functionality of the product as your personal high speed data storage. All three functionalities bundled together to offer a most convenient storage solution, with three different mobile applications existing within a single product.

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microSD Combo:

Fully compatible with USB specification version 1.1 and 2.0

High speed 480Mb/sec supporting

Full speed 12Mb/sec supporting

Hot Plug & Play – enable you to install and uninstall anytime

No external power is required – powered by USB bus

Compatible with a ProMax microSD card

Convenient and fast data exchange for desktop, laptop, MP3 player, PDA, digital camera, cell phone, etc

Specifications:

Dimensions 60.4(L)*20(W)*10.7(H) mm

Compatible Flash Card ProMax microSD cards

Weight Approx. 11 grams

Power Requirement DC 5V, 500mA, supplied by USB port

Operation Temperature 0~85C

Humidity 0~90%

LED Indication Static state: Standby Mode

Flash state: Data Transfer Mode

System Environment:

Win 2000/ME/XP

Mac OS 9.2 and above

Linux Kernal 2.4.1.2 and above

A Better Look at Things

:

The packaging is the standard sealed plastic clamshell that needs to be cut open. The front of the package has the microCD card, adapter and USB drive all prominently shown.

While the back tells you all about the card, with the same basic info that I listed in the specs section above.

After getting out my trusty utility knife and cutting the package open we can get a better look at the contents, no instructions were included, none are really needed.

ATP sent along an adapter for microSD to standard SD so the microSD could be used with devices that require SD cards.

The USB drive is actually really cool, someone actually got smart enough to attach the lid to the drive itself.. big props to ATP for this one…. It even has a key chain attachment/lanyard with neat little ATP logo metal badge.

ATP makes some great stuff, I own an ATP CF card and it is by far the fastest card I own, and I own quite a few cards. ATP makes all their cards to be weatherproof, and more rugged than any other storage card out there, which is a very good thing.

Installation, Testing and Comparison

Installation is very easy, find a slot that the card fits into… The microSD card just slips into the adapter or the USB drive, all very easy to do.

The back of the USB adapter opens up to allow the microSD card to slip in. Once closed it is fairly secure, the microSD card will stay in place and not fall out of the USB pen drive.

For testing purposes, I have another microSD card here, it is a Sandisk brand card, 256Mb, I will be using the ATP USB drive adapter to test the speeds of it for comparison.

When using the USB adapter it does have a green LED on it that lights up solid for power, and blinks when transferring data to and from the drive.

Onto the test results, the first set of results is using Hdtach from Simplisoft, it let’s you run the tests and then compare two of them, so in this test I am comparing the 2 microSD cards using the ATP USB reader. The blue is the ATP card, we can see it is faster than the Sandisk in every test.

Next up I used Hdtach again and used the microSD cards with the ATP SD adapter. Here, the red is the Atp card, it only comes out a hair faster than the Sandisk, could be because of the reader, I would think anyway.

Next up I figured since it basically can become a USB flash drive, why not compare it up against my Corsair Flash Voyager. We can see that the Corsair is faster in all respects, but then again the Corsair is made to be a flash drive, FYI: my ATP Tough Drive blows the Corsair away…hehe

I have a Planon RC800 Docupen portable color scanner that I use my microSD card with, the scanner is nice but the card isn’t the fastest out there, having the ATP microSD in there cut the process time down quite a bit, which is very nice. I can see the difference in having the ATP card in the scanner as opposed to having the Sandisk card in there.

Summary:

The ATP 256Mb 3-in-1 microSD combo is great little kit, it’s very useful and versatile. I own two ATP products, a Pro Max CF Card and the Tough Drive, so I know the excellent quality and performance of ATP products, that CF card and the tough Drive are the fastest of all that I own, and I own quite a few. Knowing ATPs’ quality I sort of already knew what to expect with the microSD combo, but didn’t make any judgments until my testing was complete, and of course the ATP microSD combo met my expectations for quality and performance.

DragonSteelMods gives the ATP 256Mb 3-in-1 microSD combo a 5 out of 5 score.

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Pros:

-Fast

-ATP quality

-Weatherproof, tough, durable

-Very useful

-Many uses and ways of using it

Cons:

-None

I would like to thank ATP for the chacne to review their products and for their support of DSM.