We all know that SSDs are super fast, especially from the mountains of benchmarks performed by reviewers. What about after a several months of actual use?

I installed the OCZ Technology 120 GB Agility Series SATA II 2.5 Inch Solid State Drive (OCZSSD2-1AGT120G) in my main system about 5 months ago. Everything else in the system is speedy (quad core Intel CPU, 6GB RAM, etc), but as we all know the real enemy of speed is a bogged down install of Windows. Runnings Windows XP x64 and after many months of installing, uninstalling, updating software I have to the conclusion: this SSD is still fast.

Boot time, application load time, etc, are all still zippy (even with anti-virus running!). I recommend the OCZ Agility.

Buy: 30 GB, 60 GB, 120 GB, 250 GB

So I bought one of these dirt cheap (actually, dirt is probably more expensive, especially nice potting soil) SD card readers from DealExtreme. It also reads MMC and RS-MMC but I only have SD cards, so that’s what’s important. So here’s my review of this $2 reader:

It works! Plug it into USB, stick a card in there. Bam. How long will it last? Not sure, I’ve done several large transfers without a hitch.

Assuming these do last, these would be great for modding. Add an internal SD slot to your case! Or… your monitor, your desk, your printer, where ever. Make a custom case for it! Cram it a toy or something.

If you are concerned about getting your $2 worth check the user reviews on DealExtreme. Some users had mixed results.

Buy it on Amazon

SD Cards For Your Reader: Transcend 16 GB SDHC Class 6, Transcend 8 GB SDHC Class 6