Normally, I love my Delkin Cardbus CF and 5-in-1 readers, but I’ve been frustrated with the 5-in-1 adapter since switching to the Fuji FinePix Z1. The Z1 uses xD cards (lame), so I purchased an Olympus 1GB xD Type M card, which works both in the camera and using a USB 2.0 xD card reader I have. The Delkin claims compatibility with xD, but when you try to use it to read my particular xD card, it never mounts as a volume (Windows XP SP2, latest Delkin driver from their website).

The device shows up in Windows, but you simply cannot get to the file system. I use the same Delkin card reader with SD media, and it works just fine. Anyway, after some dialog with Delkin, we agreed that I should send it in for testing. They sent me a shipping label, and I mailed the thing first class because it was so light… and Delkin never received it. I hate stuff like this. Pretty much the only time something I’ve mailed USPS first class hasn’t arrived is when it’s a return (it’s happened three times now — sketchy, in my opinion). But since it was my fault for not shipping with delivery confirmation, Delkin said they could not do anything about it. I’ll bet they lost it.

So I had to buy another one. It arrived today and exhibits the same problems as my first one did. The card reader simply does not work with Olympus 1GB xD Type M picture cards (mine says “MXD1GM3″ on the back). Buyer beware.