Addonics expands flash reader family!
By
Mike Tomkins
(Tuesday, May 21, 2002 - 12:55 EDT)
Two new DigiDrives and a PCMCIA DigiAdapter round out the company's offerings...
Addonics Technologies Inc., formerly part of the Acer Group, has announced the release of several new flash-reader products aimed at offering compatibility with a wide range of media types. Of the three announcements, two are USB 1.1 readers compatible with seven media types, and the third is a PCMCIA (PC Card) card adapter compatible with four types.
The PCMCIA adapter is dubbed the '4-in-1 DigiAdapter' (pictured below), and allows Memory Stick, SmartMedia, Secure Digital or MultimediaCard flash to be read in a standard Type-II PCMCIA slot. It requires no drivers to be installed, has read/write speeds of up to 3MB/second, and costs US$59.
 | Addonics' 4-in-1 DigiAdapter flash adapter.
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Next up is the 'Mini DigiDrive', a smaller version of the previously announced 'Pocket DigiDrive'. Like that unit, it can read CompactFlash Type-I or Type-II cards (including IBM's MicroDrive), as well as SmartMedia, Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard and Secure Digital cards. It also features the same USB 1.1 interface... (Addonics' release notes compliance with USB 2.0, but don't be confused - this is through the backward compatibility of USB 2.0 with USB 1.1, and maximum throughput will be the same as any other USB 1.1 device). Differences are that the Mini DigiDrive is smaller than the Pocket version by 1/4" (W), 2 1/4" (D) and almost 1/2" (H), as well as being some 11 ounces lighter at only 3 ounces. In place of the 4 separate media access LEDs of the previous model, there is now a single power LED, and a single LED showing media access on any of the four slots.
 | Addonics' Mini DigiDrive flash reader.
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Finally, the Internal DigiDrive II is an update to the previous model that (other than size and weight) has the exact same updates that the Mini DigiDrive did - removal of the four media access LEDs and replacement with a single power LED and a single access LED. The only other noteable change from the original Internal DigiDrive is that the circuit board is now fully encased in a metal drive housing which should prevent problems with dust and/or accidental shorting of circuits. Size and weight remain identical, as do the compatibility with seven media types mentioned previously and USB 1.1 connectivity. (Note that the Internal DigiDrive II can be connected to either internal or external USB connectors on your PC, as could the previous model).
 | Addonics' Internal DigiDrive II flash reader.
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Both the Mini DigiDrive and Internal DigiDrive II cost $49, $20 less than their older counterparts...
Source:
Addonics Technologies Inc.
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Original Source Press Release:
| Addonics Releases New Models to DigiDrive Flash Card Reader Family -- New Designs Get Smaller; Support New Interfaces and Offer More Features at a Lower Price SAN JOSE, CA (May 14, 2002) -- Addonics Technologies today announced several new editions to its DigiDrive line of multi-format Flash Card readers that offer more mobility and added features at a lower price.
Regardless if users are mobile professionals, digital hobbyists or building multimedia kiosks, the common ground shared by all products in Addonics DigiDrive family is the ability to eliminate the need to carry different types of Flash readers. Users can have multi-format compatibility with one DigiDrive.
The Addonics Mini DigiDrive is the latest Flash memory reader solution in the product family for mobile users who need to transfer data to their PC from digital cameras, digital camcorders, PDAs, MP3 players, or digital voice recorders and more. Similar to its cousin (the Pocket DigiDrive), the Mini DigiDrive also reads/writes to seven mainstream Flash media formats but in a smaller palm size package and at a price similar to many single media Flash readers. Mini DigiDrive media types supported include CF-I, CF-II, Smart Memory, Memory Stick, Micro Drive, Multimedia Card, and Secure Digital Card.
The Mini DigiDrive measures 3.75 (W) x 3.18 (D) x .6 inches (H) and weighs just 5 ounces. The compact size combined with the simple USB 1.1/2.0 connection make the Mini DigiDrive the best flash reader for all levels of users.
The Addonics Pocket DigiDrive is a USB mass storage compliant device and has a 1MB/second read/write speed. Support for all DigiDrives is included for Windows 98SE, Me, 2000, XP, Mac OS 8.6 or higher, Linux kernel 2.4 or higher. Once the drive is installed, an icon for each type of media automatically appears under the My Computer folder in Windows.
The Mini DigiDrive contains no moving parts. Users only need to plug device into any internal or external USB 1.1 or USB 2.0-compliant port to power the drive. Included with the drive is a 3-foot USB connecting cable and software utilities.
List price of the Addonics Mini DigiDrive is $49
Addonics 4-in-1 DigiAdapter for PC Card Systems
The Addonics 4-in-1 DigiAdapter is another convenient Flash Memory Reader solution for notebooks equipped with a PC Card (PCMCIA) slot. The DigiAdapter is the size of a standard Type II PC Card. It reads/writes to four popular Flash media types --Memory Stick, Smart Media, Secure Digital Card or Multimedia Card, via the PC Card type II slot. The DigiAdapter requires no additional drivers or other power source. It provides a maximum read/write speed of 3MB/sec. List price of the mini DigiAdapter is $59
Addonics has also revised its Internal DigiDrive, which allows users to add flash memory storage capability to any desktop PC, MS Windows based equipment or multimedia kiosk. The Internal DigiDrive II offers the same features the Mini Digidrive with its USB 2.0 support and ability to read/write to seven Flash media types. It can be easily mounted into any 3.5-inch drive bay of any computer or multimedia equipment such as a photo kiosk.
The Internal DigiDrive II is also a solid state drive without any moving parts and is designed to plug into any internal or external USB port on your computer, rack-mounted system or kiosk. List price of the Internal DigiDrive is $49.
Addonics products are available through major catalog companies, resellers, VARs and distributors, including StorageUSA.com, Amazon.com, PC Connection, CDW, Buy.com, Insight, Ingram Micro, and Ma Lab.
Addonics Technologies Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets a broad line of external storage products. Addonics is headquartered at 2466 Kruse Drive, San Jose, CA 95131, Phone: 408-433-3899. Visit Addonics at www.addonics.com
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