Author: Andrew Schembri Date: April 14, 2008 Manufacturer: Durapower Provider: Durapower

Installation » Page 1: Durapower CR-104 Card Reader

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Since nobody uses floppy drives anymore, what is one to fill the empty 3.5” drive bay with? Currently, the trend is to go with media readers, and with good reason. Media cards are popping up all over the place and in many different gadgets. So, what makes the Durapower CR-104 different from the rest? Read on to find out!

Introduction

Durapower is based in Taipei and currently manufactures and provides peripherals to OEMs. Their product lines include card readers, external hard drive cases as well as HTPC cases.

The Durapower CR-104


Durapower packages the CR-104 in very generic box. The box does not display the model number of the unit anywhere on the box. The pictured card reader is very different from the actual card read, which we will see later on. The back of the package lists the media cards that are supported, but neglects the other features of the unit. The whole appearance of the box makes it seem that this product is of a generic type and not of high quality. This may sway some from purchasing it while browsing in a store.


However, we all know that the packaging gets thrown away once the unit is installed and verified working! So, let’s get on with it.

Specifications

The CR-104 measrues about 5.25" long.


Durapower lists the following cards as accessible by the CR-104:

• Compact Flash
• Micro Drive
• Smart Media
• xD- Picture card
• Secure Digital
• Multi Media card (MMC)
• Memory Stick
• Memory Stick Pro

Additionally, the CR-104 has two USB ports, one 1394 (Firewire), as well as audio.

There are two LEDs on the CR-104 which indicate power and media reader activity. Personally, I don’t understand why manufactures even use the power LED since it’s on whenever the USB connections have power. In the test system’s case, the AN-7 motherboard keeps power to the USB connections even when the system is off and the power supply is plugged in. This is the case with most newer motherboards as well. This means that the power light is on when the computer is off.

The the wires are kept tidy exiting fom the CR-104 with a zip tie. It is also interesting to note that the electronics are all enclosed by a metal cover. This makes for a better appearance for those with windows in their cases.

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Installation » Page 1: Durapower CR-104 Card Reader Page 2: Installation