The Scanner and Camera Wizard leads you steadily through the camera-to-PC photo transfers, but all that hand-holding takes time. For quicker grabs, connect your camera to your PC as described above and then choose Start → My Computer. Look for your digital camera’s icon nestled among your PC’s disks and drives. Double-click the camera icon to open it, like any folder. Select the camera’s photos, and drag them to your My Pictures folder.
Although that method speeds things up by bypassing the wizard, bypassing your camera’s cable altogether speeds up transfers even more. For the speediest transfers, buy a card reader, like the one shown in Figure 4-5 (top). Available for around $20, the card reader plugs into your PC’s USB port and creates tiny disk drives for inserting your camera’s cards. Push your camera’s card into the reader, and use Windows XP’s standard copy tools to move the photos to any other folder on your computer. Card readers have several advantages over the wizard:
Battery life. With a card reader, your camera stays turned off during transfer sessions, keeping your battery alive longer for more picture taking.
Speed. Card readers give your PC direct access to the card, and they’re built for speed. Camera transfer circuitry isn’t nearly as quick.
Price. Card readers cost less than $20, usually much less than the cost of replacing the camera cable you left in the hotel room.
Versatility. Most card readers read every card format, including cards used by your friends, relatives, and strangers at coffee shops. (They’ll also work with your next camera, as well.)
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