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SOYO
BayOne Extreme 9 in 1 Media reader Sponsored By 12/01/04
SOYO recently has been making some accessories to go along with their main stream products. One of these products is the BAYone 9 in 1 media reader. This is a USB device with a few extras. The Bay itself consists of 3 USB and sound Input/Output ports. Removable from the bay is a multi port memory stick reader that reads just about every stick on the market. Being removable, this reader is small and nice for traveling or moving over to an alternate PC. Let us take a closer look and see if this product provides what they promise.
Specs: USB Description Front
USB ports allow users to connect their favorite devices without having
to reach to the back of the PC. With the increasing number of electronic
devices featuring USB connection, these additional front ports provide
more flexibility and choice.Compatibilities WinXP / Win2000 / WinME / Win98SE Compatible With
Compatible with Windows XP, 2000, ME, 98/98SE
Compliant with USB 2.0 Specification
Compliant with USB 1.1 Specification
Supports PCI-Bus Power Management Interface 1.1 Specification
Supports 1.5/12/480 Mbps data transfer rate NOTE TO
INSTALLATION: ALL BAYONE PRODUCTS ARE DESIGNED TO CONNECT DIRECTLY ONTO
THE MOTHERBOARD'S USB PIN HEADER AND NOT USB PORTS, IEEE 1394 PIN
HEADER, AND IEEE 1394 PORTSWarranty All SOYO products are designed to offer stability and flexibility, and are tested to ensure highest reliability. We offer a 1 year limited warranty on this SOYO product. Features
Package Content
Price: Newegg price $22.99 USD Purchase Link $22.99 is a great deal for any removable media reader. Well worth the price.
Installation: Let's start with the external reader. To eject the external media reader there is a button on the front of the drive. It is pretty simple, a mechanical leaver ejects the console from the bay for easy use.
After ejecting the bay you will notice a USB port on the back, just plug it in and go. Other then that, the external installation is a snap. SOYO even provides the cable. This is a plus, it can cost between 3 and 10 USD for this cable.
Internal installation is just about as easy as the external. SOYO does a fine job of showing exactly what steps are needed to install the internal bay. The cabling is pretty much the same as any port installation on your case. Just plug in the correct cables and find the corresponding ports on your motherboard and voila!, it's all done.
Driver installation was non existent from a software aspect. Whether rebooting the PC after bay installation or using the external USB cable, it appears the same: as a removable storage device similar to when hooking up your camera directly. It is not a bad idea to make a mental note as to what drive corresponds to what medium. With 5 new removable drives, I bet more then once you will open the wrong drive.
The illustration bellow shows what you would expect to see when the media reader is installed on a Windows 2000 / XP/ 2003 machine...
Appearance: The BAYone media reader is a pretty standard design. You will notice it has all your standard USB ports and sound input/output plug-ins. One drawback to this reader is that it only comes in standard PC beige, so if you are trying to match a case color you will need to add a coat of paint. However, the faceplate does come off so it is an easy fix for any person not afraid to paint a plastic facing.
Performance & Quality: There's not a whole lot to say about performance. It is a removable storage device similar to a USB drive so it is limited to transfer rates, but it runs fast enough for its purpose. The easy disconnect is nice and works well. Quality, when pertaining to the thought put into this device, is top notch. The simplicity of the design says it all. Everything from the packaging to the installation was well thought out. My only real concern, design wise, appeared when removing the drive. SOYO uses a mechanical leaver as I mentioned earlier but this leaver is made from a hardened plastic. I am sure it was well tested before it was put on the market so I don't expect an issue. But, if there was to be a part to break, this would be it.. Any movable part similar to an automobile is susceptible to wear and tear damage so if you don't beat on the leaver, I can't foresee a problem. Just be sure to be conscious of it.
Pros: Installation was very easy. Any moderate PC user should be able to follow the instructions. Versatility was a plus, the ability to eject and use in other locations makes this product stand out. Virtually no software or drives to load. Providing the external USB cable saves the consumer time and money. Cons: Only comes in one color. Eject leaver is plastic. (could be an issue, time will tell???) Conclusion: If you have multiple cameras or media to read from and want something versatile enough to read all of them without having to hook up a cable, and yet like to be able to bring a small compact reader with you, this product fills that void. For less then the cost of a video game, SOYO has made an easy to use and well designed product. I am glad to award the BAYone 9 in 1 media reader the Blue Ribbon Seal of Approval.
Rating
5 out of 6 Stars Review Date 12/01/04 Reviewer pr101j (Paul)
Company Info
Contact Info Headquarters SOYO GROUP INC. Latin America Brazil Sales Office / RMA Center Rua André Ampere 153 andar 17 sala 171/172 Brooklin Novo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil. CEP: 04562-080 Tel: 55 11 5103-3522 Fax: 55 11 5102-3522 Web Site: http://www.soyola.com Email: Info@soyola.com (General Inquiries) Email: Sales@soyola.com (Channel Sales) Sales Technical Support
Marns CDA By pr101j
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