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PQI's logo. Click here to visit the PQI website! PQI shows xD-Picture Card reader
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(Tuesday, January 14, 2003 - 00:24 EST)

Since Olympus and Fuji announced the xD-Picture Card flash memory format at the end of July, we've seen quite a few cameras announced by both companies using the tiny cards.

We've not seen much in the way of third-party accessories though - but that looks set to change soon. Taiwanese company Power Quotient International Co. Ltd. attended the CES show in Las Vegas, and showed a tiny USB 2.0 xD-Picture Card reader. No specifications or pricing were immediately available, but we were told that the reader should begin shipping around the PMA time-frame. (That's slightly later than usual this year, as PMA 2003 is in early March instead of the usual February).

PQI's booth. Copyright (c) 2003, Michael R. Tomkins. All rights reserved.

The reader has a short cable built in which can be tucked into the end of the unit, and versions supporting SmartMedia or CompactFlash are also available, as well as a three-in-one Memory Stick / Secure Digital / MultiMediaCard reader. All of these look extremely similar with dimensions of 85 x 56 x 11.5mm, a weight of about 40 grams; they also offer support for USB Mass Storage Class.

PQI's xD-Picture Card reader. Copyright (c) 2003, Michael R. Tomkins. All rights reserved.

PQI's xD-Picture Card reader. Copyright (c) 2003, Michael R. Tomkins. All rights reserved.

PQI also showed its USB 2.0 Multi Slot Card Reader / Writer, which supports Compact Flash / Microdrive / SmartMedia / MultiMediaCard / Secure Digital / Memory Stick cards. This is a slightly larger unit, and again the USB cable is built in and tucks away conveniently into the back of the device. Dimensions are 96 x 63 x 13mm, and the overall weight is 55 grams. As with the smaller xD unit, Windows systems are supported with drivers or USB Mass Storage Class depending on the operating system.

PQI's USB 2.0 Multi-Slot Card Reader / Writer. Copyright (c) 2003, Michael R. Tomkins. All rights reserved.

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