[Nook Color General] Blue6IX:
Good input guys, very helpful.

I picked up 3 more packages of the SanDisk MicroSD to SD card adapters, so now I have 5 of the same USB MicroSD card readers, and 5 (6) of the same MicroSD to SD Card adapters.

Using 5 of the same MicroSD cards, i'll run a full test and that should give me the most reliable results to compare transfer speed from computer to MicroSD card between an integrated card slot or USB slot with a reader.

Testing in the same USB slot each time to use the same physical circuitry will probably show the USB method to be faster, but we'll see.

I'll be updating my hardware listing with all the data I can physically find on the cards. I still have a lot of time to put in to get the first 10 posts up to speed, but thats coming over the next week on my vacation. The next two days will be hectic, but after that i'll be swimming in free time.

For the minute:

-all the 8 gig class 4 SanDisk cards were copyright 2010 on the packaging.

-all the SanDisk adapter combo packs were copyright 2010 on the packaging.

-the USB MicroSD adapters are stamped with serial:'s on the device itself, i'll be including that.

ETA: ok, checked the packaging I have filed here, and came up with this:

SanDisk 8 gig class 4 MicroSD: (identical on 2 packages of card alone)

-Front lower left packaging number: 80-56-09527-008G

-Below rear UPC code: 80-56-09526-008G

(on one package of card alone)

-Front lower left packaging number: 80-59-09998-008G

-Below rear UPC code: 80-59-09997-008G

(on one package where I bought the card with an adapter)

-Front lower left packaging number: 80-56-09523-008G

-Below rear UPC code: 80-56-09528-008G

(on all 4 packages)

-Above rear UPC code: SDSDQ-008G-A11M

-Printed on package: Card made in China.

(missing one package that a card came in, sorry...)

And this:

SanDisk adapter combo: (identical on all 5 packages)

-Front lower left packaging number: 80-56-09670

-Above rear UPC code: SDDRK-121-A11M

-Printed on package: Reader and adapter made in China.

I'll edit in what goes with what when I update the hardware post.

-the memory cards have two rows of very faint print on the face, i'll have to use a magnifier to make sure I get it right. One is already in the camera case I keep my memory cards in.

Even though i'm dropping my other memory cards from testing for the moment and running with the 5 SanDisk cards i'm using, the others are available if I need data. I'll update with anything else I can figure out about them too.

The 16 gig Sandisk class 2 is my best performing card, and so that one went right into service running android on my Nook color. I'll probably keep that one off the testing circuit so I can use my Nook. (at least for now)

@ psychoace: Thanks for the links and info, that hit next on my required reading list. It'll help explain why i'm getting whatever results I get in the comparison between integrated adapter and USB port.

Look like just the stuff I was going to go looking for while I was waiting for cards during testing. (on my nook, not the testing pc) I wish I had the time to read it now, i'm dying to go through it.

This also helps to explain to me why the 16 gig class 2 card is the one i'm using in my Nook.

@ awats: I never ran android from the eMMC, so I can't really answer for sure.

I would venture that it is probably faster, on identical installs just one on sdcard. The eMMC doesn't swap in and out, so the contacts don't get worn in the circuitry.

Swapping cards in and out of the Nook all the time will eventually wear the contacts inside, as well as any contamination of grease (fingers touching card contacts), dirt or whatever that acts as a resistor impeding current.

The circuitry pathway is probably shorter and runs on a faster bus in the eMMC then the SD card gets, but that is conjecture because I haven't looked too closely at the teardowns yet.

My un-enlightened opinion says that eMMC running faster is logical, but i've never played with a Nook running android on eMMC so I can't say for sure.

Maybe someone will come through here who can give you a better answer, i'm curious too.

ETA: btw - that tech log was helpful towards confirming what we are starting to realize: MicroSD cards are not optimized (at this time) for what we are doing with them. The target market is audio/video record/playback. Running an operating system requires more of different aspects of the card, and manufacturers haven't really realized it yet.