Recommendation for flash card reader needed

[PyROm]

Hi, our art department currently suffers from a high fatality rate of flash card readers. We have been looking round for tougher looking models but have been unable to find any that look up to the job. Mostly the problem is caused by kids forcing cards in the wrong way round and general heavy handedness.

 

Can anyone recommend a strong card reader? The department uses compact flash, mmc, sd and xd.

 

As a side note, how do people stop the kids from stealing them? The art teacher wants to glue them to the desk but were not so keen!

 

Thanks

Robin

[mrforgetful]

How about an internal one?

 

Lets face it, noone should be using a floppy disk now.

 

As for being tough, can't say we've had a problem, but then we don't use them much, students transfering things from cameras tend to use USB leads instead.

[PyROm]

Unfortunately the art teacher insists on keeping the pc`s side on under the desk to keep the desks clear for painting, so cant use internal readers.

 

The department has more memory cards then cameras, so one set of kids transfer files from the cards while another set is using the cameras to speed things up, meaning they cant use the camera+usb :/

[mac_shinobi]

Hi, our art department currently suffers from a high fatality rate of flash card readers. We have been looking round for tougher looking models but have been unable to find any that look up to the job. Mostly the problem is caused by kids forcing cards in the wrong way round and general heavy handedness.

 

Can anyone recommend a strong card reader? The department uses compact flash, mmc, sd and xd.

 

As a side note, how do people stop the kids from stealing them? The art teacher wants to glue them to the desk but were not so keen!

 

Thanks

Robin

 

what memory card readers have you tried so far that have been broken or in your opinion have not been any good ? Just so we are not suggesting something you have already tried.

[PyROm]

We had a few of these that got the compact flash pins bent about 4 months ago http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/ProductInfo.asp?WebProductID=558187

before that, about 12 months ago, we had scans own brand ones that were even cheaper but looked identical. The oldest ones we have (about 2 left now after thefts) are white belkin ones that are fixed to a grey base and angled at about 45 degees, cant find a picture of any of these, but there approx 3 years old. The belkin ones dont support xd though.

[Ric_]

I have a Memorex one which does seem a bit tougher than others that I have seen... it's a few years old mind.

 

Unless you physically attach the readers to something or rigourously check that the readers are collected in, there is little else that you can do.

[crc-ict]

On this note, don't get the cheap internal ones that CPC do - I've got one and it's crap! You can use it about three times before it somehow manages to overload its USB port and refuses to work again until you turn the computer off and back on at the mains!

 

It particularly hates my pro-standard Sandisk Extreme III 2Gb CF cards - I can hardly ever manage to insert one of those without tripping it out!

[FN-GM]

Unfortunately the art teacher insists on keeping the pc`s side on under the desk to keep the desks clear for painting, so cant use internal readers.

 

The department has more memory cards then cameras, so one set of kids transfer files from the cards while another set is using the cameras to speed things up, meaning they cant use the camera+usb :/

 

we make them go on their hands and knees crawling under the desk. External ones tend to go walk about.