SanDisk Ultra II SD Plus USB (2005 - early 2010s) | Museum of Obsolete Media (original) (raw)
In 2005, SanDisk introduced a memory card that combined a Secure Digital (SD) card with a USB interface for use in a high-speed USB 2.0 port. The SD portion was based on the shape of the Reduced-Size MultiMediaCard introduced the previous year, but with SD contacts.
The idea behind the card was that owners of digital cameras could plug the card into their laptop or PC without the need for an SD card adaptor, and transfer photos without the need to carry a cable around. It met with positive reviews, although the width of the SD portion of the card could make access to some USB ports difficult, or mean other USB devices would need to be unplugged.
Initially the card offered capacities of 512 MB or 1 GB, later increasing to 2 GB. In 2007, the card changed to Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) format and could offer 4 GB of storage, later increasing to 8 GB.