E6410 flash memory card reader

I know just about nothing about flash memory cards other than having a
few for cameras and a video recorder. The E6410 has a 6-in-1 card reader
and the specs say it reads "SD / MMC / SDHC / SDHS / MiniSD / MicroSD / SDIO" cards.

I've been thinking of buying a card to use as a quick backup device but I'm
suddenly faced with the task of choosing a particular format in a sea of
possibilities. When Dell says my laptop can read SDHC cards does that mean
all of them ? I see there are (at least) Class 2, 4, 6 and 10 versions of SDHC.
There's even an Ultra SDHC and an Ultra II SDHC. Can they all be used ?

Are the full specs of the E6410's card reader available somewhere ? I know
I could just buy any old run-of-the-mill card and it'll work but I'd like to
know what the limits are since there seem to be new formats coming out
all the time. Are there advantages and disadvantages to each type ?

I just saw a 78-in-1 card reader. I can't believe there are that many different
formats...

 

As long as you are referring to SD cards, the E6410 reader should support virtually any card that you can find. You should be good up to 32GB with any Class card for SDHC (though this is truly an artificial limit, as opposed to an architectural limit, though the profile may be revised to allow greater capacities in the future).

The reader may also support some SDXC cards, though they are restricted to UHS104 speeds, and I would not rely on the SDHC device supporting many of these cards.

In terms of what you should buy, that is greatly dependent on your budget. The classes represent a minimum transfer speed, and while lower values, such as Class 2 may not work well for all applications, they will work quite well for most users. However, note that the transfer bottleneck will become more apparent with larger files (e.g. movies), and if you can snag a higher class without affecting your wallet, then you should certainly take advantage of the opportunity.

 

Thanks Jakeworld, I'm reassured.