The R4 adaptor and memory card

While failsafe systems and offsite data storage are a serious matter for businesses, this little unit is meant for people's more playful side. Designed to fit into the same slot that you put your game cartridges on the DS and DS lite consoles, it comes complete with a USB reader and a micro SD memory card. It supports the FAT16 and FAT32 file systems and works with the touch screen too. Some people have experienced problems with missing operating system files on the R4 adaptor, so it is always bets to buy from a supplier that installs and tests the software before sending out orders. Ordering from a UK company will ensure that the card works with games from your region. If you buy from the Far East you can sometime have some issues with language compatibility. As far as memory capacity is concerned you can purchase an adaptor that comes with a memory card from two to eight gigabytes in size.

The memory card itself fits into a small slot at the top of the adaptor, and is of the same type and size to be found in many modern mobile phones. If you happen to own the DSi console then you will need an R4i adaptor, not the r4 model, which works with the DS and DS lite models as mentioned earlier. When you wish to add new games, video or music files, you can insert the memory card into the USB reader, plug the reader into your computer and simply drag and drop the files. All modern computers have a number of USB ports so this is not a difficult task. In this way the adaptor can turn your console into a nice little portable television or music player for long plane or train journeys, or to help keep the children amused in the back of the car. Any files you have loaded on the memory card for the R4, you can of course backup to your computer hard drive in case of any problems with the card, or if you happen to misplace it.

Then once you have a new micro SD card you can simply transfer the files over again. When you order an adaptor pack, it should come with a handy plastic carrying case for the adaptor, to help protect it from damage, so hopefully you won't need to buy a new R4 card and have to take advantage of your backup facility, although, as with critical business data, it is always nice to have the option there. Although, as I mentioned previously, it makes good sense to buy from a supplier which pre-installs the card's operating system software, if you would rather install it yourself you can do this too. There are several sites on the internet where you can download the latest R4 software from. This is also useful if you ever experience any problems with the operating system and need to reinstall it, or if you accidentally format the memory card.