Archos 4-in-1 CompactFlash Adapter > Reviews > No need to buy any more memory cards!

Author's product rating:   

Ease of Use	Simple
Quality	Excellent
Durability	Excellent
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Compact and Does what is is designed to do, good online support
Disadvantages:	Can be tricky to use with Archos Media Players

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The arcos 4 in 1 Compact flash adaptor enables you to transfer jpeg images from Xd. Memory stick, Scan disk and Multimedia cards to a Compact Flash compatible source.

There isn't a lot to say about such a device, as it is relatively simple and straightforward to use.

The card adaptor measured 600mm x 400mm and is a compact design with no wasted space or fancy patterns. It is designed to be a functional device and so not a lot of time was put into the design of it. However you wouldn't buy it for its aesthetics, you would buy it because it is made by Archos, which is a technology company that is well recognised and has an international reputation for quality. This fact is well advertised on the product as a bright red Archos label takes half of the top face.

The card adaptor performs its functionality seamlessly when used with other card readers. During its use with my Archos AV420 (a media player with a built in compact flash card slot) the card reader was not recognised by the device. This problem was rectified by having to place the adapter in the device before turning it on, but this fact is not advertised on the product or in any installation manuals. As this was the primary design for the device, as Archos sell it as an accessory for their Media Players I was expecting such a fault to be addressed.

Data transfer speeds are similar to using a USB 2.0 device and i had no problems.

Getting hold of this device was challenging in itself, as I had to order it from Archos' European Division, costing around £30. I am glad to see that they are available on both Ebay and other shopping websites listed by Ciao for around £22.

Overall The Archos 4 in 1 compact flash adaptor is an invaluable device for taking photos off your full to capacity memory cards, and its combination with the Archos Av420 makes it a useful accessory to have on holiday without the need for extra spending on memory cards.