| EZ Flash IV Lite | ||||
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EZ Flash IV Lite Introduction
Now, let's take a look at the package!
Box Contents
So apart from the main cartridge, we have a USB SD card reader which is a great freebie! After all they didn't have to include it because no memory card is supplied, so it's a nice addition on their part. The card reader works just fine, and the inserted memory card just shows as an external drive in Windows. The reader should work on Macs and Linux fine but I can't test that.
The EZ Flash IV
The two different coloured casings that are suppled with the EZ Flash IV Lite are included in a seperate bag underneath the inner tray of the box. They are supplied dismantled and extra screws aren't included.
I have a European Black DS Lite, and unfortunately no black case is supplied with this kit so I had to settle for the navy one. And to be quite honest, in normal lighting conditions you can barely notice the colour difference. It's only when you get them both in direct sunlight or any bright light that it's noticeable, and even then it doesn't exactly look bad. So the navy casing does the job just fine. One thing I noticed when changing casings is the way the two halves of the plastic casing interlock. There's only one actual hook on the left hand side, which does do it's job, but could have been a bit larger. Strangely there is no hook on the right hand side. There could have been one above the GBA cart contacts. This minor point doesn't affect the cart, and it still fixes nicely together when screwed together tightly and certainly doesn't rattle around but a bit more thought could have been applied here. Onto the micro SD section of the cart... 
They opted for a side loading micro SD slot on the EZ Flash IV Lite this means in order to insert and remove the card you need to remove the EZ4L from your DS Lite, but on the plus side it's less likely to fall out when you don't want it to and get lost! If you've seen a micro SD card in person you'll know how incredibly tiny they are. As for using the micro SD slot, let's just say it's not the easiest slot to work with. You're going to need incredibily small and nimble fingers to remove the micro SD card from the slot once it's inserted. The plastic opening around the slot is not nearly big enough for most people. There is no space underneath the card slot to get your finger/fingernail to lift it out and on top theres also not enough space to grab it with. It seems almost impossible to remove the card without an aid. Fortunately I had a tiny pair of pliers handy that do the job pretty well, but I've seen on our own and other forums that people have resorted to modding the casing personally to make it easier. I tried this modification myself, and it really does help. It makes you wonder why the EZ Flash team didn't just make the hole bigger in the first place. What the small mod involves is filing down the bottom part of the casing and widening the top part. You should use a small file or preferabely a small dremel. I didn't have a dremel so I had to resort to filing it down. My results weren't aesthetically pleasing, but they certainly do make removing the micro SD card a hell of a lot easier. Here's a shot of the before and after: 
Once you get the grip on the tiny grooved handle on the top and bottom of the card removing it is easy. I highly recommend doing this mod yourself to save yourself a lot of stress, or just invest in a tiny tiny pair of pliers. Here's a couple of shots of the internals of the EZ Flash IV Lite... As you can see everything is nice and neat, clean and tidy. It looks good. But I bet you'll find yourself looking for that 1mm they could have trimmed off! 
The build quality of the PCB is good. The way the battery is fixed isn't so good, as it gets wedged quite firmly in a space between the top plastic casing, so take a bit of care when you're dismantling your EZ4L not to bend the battery out of place too much which COULD result in the solder legs snapping. Conclusion The EZ Flash IV is a very good cart, and offers great NDS and GBA compatibility and some nice features. This new "Lite" re-design of the cart makes an already great kit even better and makes it appeal to a new audience. Unfortunately this hardware re-design suffers a few flaws that prevent it from being perfect. Like the fact that it's not as flush as the original dust cover, and the annoyingly small micro SD slot. These flaws might not have happened, had the product not been rushed into the market and instead spent a few more weeks in development. It's a shame because the EZ Flash IV is a very good cart, and the Lite version could have had a lot more adopters if these issues weren't present when the cart first made retail months before any other Lite solution. Still, the EZ Flash IV Lite is a tiny cart and looks good in a DS Lite, and is definetely worth considering if you're looking for a Lite solution. The extras and different coloured cases included in the kit are great little bonuses that make the purchase more worthwhile. Pros + First "Lite" solution on the market + Small form factor + Extra freebies included + Can be purchased cheap Cons - Doesn't quite sit flush in a DS Lite - Micro SD slot almost impossible to work with without modification - Build quality could have been better - Lack of documentation
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 18 December 2008 08:43 ) |
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