Read That Card!
You can use the USB patch cable provided with your digital camera to transfer pictures, but that method has two big disadvantages:
- You can’t take new pictures while you’re transferring existing photos.
- You’re running down the camera battery with each picture you transfer.
No wonder many new desktops and notebooks include multi-slot flash memory card readers for the most popular types of flash memory cards. However, if your computer doesn’t include a card reader, or you use a type of card that might not be supported by your onboard reader, you can plug an external card reader into a USB port. Avoid low-end models that support only USB 1.1 speeds. Readers made by Lexar, SanDisk, Sony, or Belkin are some of the products worth looking for.
You can also use an internal card reader that slides into a 3.5-inch drive bay, but keep in mind that most of these units do not plug into the motherboard’s internal USB ports, but require a sloppy-looking connection to an external USB port.