Sonnet Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter

The Echo ExpressCard/34 Thunderbolt Adapter from Sonnet is an excellent way to expand your interface options on your Thunderbolt-enabled Mac computer. This external adapter connects to a Thunderbolt port and features an ExpressCard/34 card slot with the PCI Express 2.0 x1 bus interface. You can add Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB 3.0, CompactFlash, and SDXC flash card connectivity to your computer. All you need is the relevant ExpressCard/34 to fit into the adapter. In addition, the adapter also supports specialty adapters like the latest revision PCIe Bus Extender for Sonnet's Qio Professional Media Readers, and the interface adapter for the AJA io Express. Plus, you can hot-swap cards.

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• Reviewed by:

  01-06-12

  Duration of ownership: 3 Weeks

  Strengths: Rugged; Compatible with many cards; Available now

  Weaknesses:Not compatible with USB 2.0 cards and some memory cards; bigger than I expected; no pass through; Does not include cable

  Overall Evaluation: My first impression is that it is bigger than I expected. It is almost 2" thick. It also lacks a Thunderbolt pass through, so it must be either your only Thunderbolt device or at the back of a chain.Getting it set up on OS X Lion was easy. I just plugged it in using an Apple cable. After that, I was able to install a generic ExpressCard eSATA card and be up and running with an external drive in minutes. It's completely hot swappable in OS X.Getting it set up on Windows 7 Boot Camp was a little trickier. First, the device needs to be plugged in when booting or it won't work. Second, I had to first boot without the eSATA card (otherwise Windows froze), and then install the card, manually scan for new hardware, and then manually install the driver (after that it works fine).For Sonnet's $150 MSRP, think twice, particularly since the $50 Apple Thunderbolt cable is extra, but it's a better proposition at Provantage's price.

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