» Sony MSAC-US30 Memory Stick USB Reader/Writer

Sony MSAC-US30 Memory Stick USB Reader/Writer Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: Compact and easy to use
Comment: Doesn't take much space and was very easy to use. Downloaded pics very quickly. I recommend it.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Compatible with all MS cards; nice to have for PSP
Comment: I bought the MSAC-US30 Memory Stick reader because it's the one specified in the Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) manual. It's the only reader that's completely compatible with all Memory Stick and Memory Stick Duo media.

The term "Memory Stick" by itself refers to the original Memory Stick flash memory card made by Sony (and a handful other manufacturers like Lexar, Sandisk and TDK). "Memory Stick Duo" is the second generation of Memory Stick, and it's much smaller than the original Memory Stick. Within each generation (MS and MS Duo), there's the standard media and the "PRO" media, which has faster speeds and is better suited for high-speed video devices, i.e., most of us (including PSP owners) don't need the PRO line of MS or MS Duo. To further complicate things, some Memory Sticks (original or Duo) feature the so-called MagicGate technology, which is a copy-protection scheme used only by Sony.

Ok, so this reader is the only one that can read all these Sony-proprietary Memory Stick formats. (The only other USB reader I know of that can read Memory Stick Duo is the Sandisk 12-in-1 reader, but that one has poor quality, slow speed and is not MagicGate compatible.) Which Memory Stick should you get? Here's my take:

1) If you plan to store Sony's ATRAC3 or ATRAC3Plus encoded music files (i.e., those ripped from CDs using Sony's SonicStage software, or those bought at Sony's Connect Music Store), you must use a MagicGate Memory Stick.

2) If you plan to use flash memory in the latest Sony camcorders or the Playstation Portable (PSP), you must buy a Memory Stick Duo card. (Think of MS Duo as Sony's answer to Secure Digital, whereas the original-sized MS competes with CompactFlash.)

3) If you use something that requires high-speed access (e.g., certain Sony digital cameras and camcorders), you should get a Memory Stick or Memory Stick Duo that's PRO-designated.

I know this is all very confusing, and it took me a while to figure out. In fact, the story doesn't end here; users of older Memory Stick cards know some of them used two separate memory chips inside a singular MS card. Anyway, e-mail me gadgester @t hotmail if you have any questions.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Great Idea!
Comment: Ok, so I go into Best Buy to buy this thing which I bought for my son and have no idea what it does. So when I get it home, he takes his Memory Stick from his camera and sricks it into the reader. He has to do a project for school so he saves his project onto the stick, takes it to school, prints it out, and he gets it. Good idea if you don't want to spend huge $$$ for flash drives.

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