View Full Version : 1.5GB - 3GB Compact Flash Cards From Pretec
Ed Hansberry
11-21-2002, 02:00 PM
<a href="http://www.pretec.com/">http://www.pretec.com/</a><br /><br />Pretec has announced 1.5GB, 2GB and 3GB Compact Flash cards at Comdex. They have a <a href="http://www.pretec.com/PR_3GB_021118.pdf">press release in PDF format here</a>. They will have samples ready by the end of the year on the 2GB+ cards. 1.5GB samples are ready now. These aren't exactly cheap. The 3GB sample will be $2,499. :crazyeyes: <br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/hansberry/2002/20021121-3gbcf.jpg" />
Timothy Rapson
11-21-2002, 02:19 PM
I'll take two of the 3.0 gigs, and two of the 2.0 gigs. The 1.5s are just too small to use for anything.
-Me, December....2004-
Perry Reed
11-21-2002, 02:23 PM
3 Gigabytes on my Pocket PC??? Yes, I'm drooling over here. And so is my Jornada...
don dre
11-21-2002, 02:29 PM
But my wallet says a resounding no. I'll stick to the microdrive until my wallet gets fatter...or I plan on declaring personal bankruptcy. The enw microdrive should be out soon and will be much cheaper for two gigs.
Ekkie Tepsupornchai
11-21-2002, 02:34 PM
Uhhh... I ain't droolin'.... not at $2500...
Man, I could buy a TabletPC at that price!!
I currently have a 512MB CF and on a 10+ international hour flight (which I do a lot of) that provides more than enough MP3s to last me through and you could get 1GB CF cards now for around $300-400.
Jonathan1
11-21-2002, 02:35 PM
Umm I think NOT. When the price of computer equipment starts falling into the down payment range of a new car its time to say no. *shrugs* Give it a year and the price will be down in the sub grand range.
Hmmm Do you think BMW accepts down payments in CF cards? OK I'll give you 2 3GB cards and 1 1.5GB cards for that beauty
$2,499
Ummm. Let me think about that.....
Yeah. I'm gonna have to say, NO!
What possible reason would I have to spend that on portable memory?
At that price I could have:
- A couple of nice PC's.
- A laptop or two WITH a large hard drive AND a Toshiba 5 GB PCMCIA drive.
- 8 new top line Dell Axim's (or would that be Axii ?) and some regular memory.
- 4 new Compaq 5450's and a Coke (maybe a cheeseburger too).
Pretec, put the crack pipe down and step away.
8O
Perry Reed
11-21-2002, 02:42 PM
Uhhh... I ain't droolin'.... not at $2500...
Trust me, at that price, drooling is ALL I'm doing. If I had that kind of cash lying around, I'd have already bought a Tablet PC.
scottd
11-21-2002, 03:00 PM
I'll take two :wink:
Ed Hansberry
11-21-2002, 03:05 PM
Keep in mind that this isn't primarily for PDA users. The photo industry uses CF cards and they take pics in the 5-20MB range in a raw format per image.
xbalance
11-21-2002, 03:08 PM
The price is absurd and I would enjoy to hear how anybody can justify paying that much. The good news is that it is only a matter of time until the price comes down to where even a cheap bastard like me can rationalize it.
For now, I have my 20GB Archos FM Jukebox that fills the data storage void my new Axim X5 will not be able to.
Keep in mind that this isn't primarily for PDA users. The photo industry uses CF cards and they take pics in the 5-20MB range in a raw format per image.
Photographer nerds. They're ruining it for the rest of us.
Just kidding.
Seriously, even if I were a photographer, $2499 is a lot of money when I can get the same amount of memory, in several seperate cards, for a lot less. People will pay a price for a convenience factor, but come on.
butch
11-21-2002, 03:31 PM
Seriously, even if I were a photographer, $2499 is a lot of money when I can get the same amount of memory, in several seperate cards, for a lot less. People will pay a price for a convenience factor, but come on.
And, right now, only the Canon's EOS-1Ds support the Fat32 file system, so other camera are stopped at 2G with fat16! But someone paying 8999$ for a camera, will buy a 2500$ mem card without a problem! :)
SofaTater
11-21-2002, 03:40 PM
The $2500 price doesn't seem quite as bad when you figure that a 3 gig CF card will hold as much data as 24 128Mb memory sticks, which go for about $80. So, 24 128MB sticks would cost $1,920.
Yeah, I know, it's apples and oranges, but it still puts it into a slightly better perspective. :wink:
Seriously, even if I were a photographer, $2499 is a lot of money when I can get the same amount of memory, in several seperate cards, for a lot less. People will pay a price for a convenience factor, but come on.
And, right now, only the Canon's EOS-1Ds support the Fat32 file system, so other camera are stopped at 2G with fat16! But someone paying 8999$ for a camera, will buy a 2500$ mem card without a problem! :)
Then I went into the wrong line of business. This IT thing isn't cutting it.
:P
JornadaJ
11-21-2002, 03:50 PM
Oh my... The only people who could afford this are auto mechanics and government workers!
vincentsiaw
11-21-2002, 04:18 PM
man $ 2500 for 3 gig of memory? wow it's a lot of money, with that kind of noney i can buy 4 new hp 5400 series, i think the price it's not for me!
GoldKey
11-21-2002, 04:27 PM
The $2500 price doesn't seem quite as bad when you figure that a 3 gig CF card will hold as much data as 24 128Mb memory sticks, which go for about $80. So, 24 128MB sticks would cost $1,920.
Yeah, I know, it's apples and oranges, but it still puts it into a slightly better perspective. :wink:
Well, lets go apples to apples. Could buy 6 x Samsung 512 MB compact flash cards at $175 a piece for a total of $1050. That makes it almost 2.5 x more just to get it all on one card.
Or
3 x IBM 1gb microdrives at $239 for a total of $717. The one card is almost 3.5 x more.
Janak Parekh
11-21-2002, 04:56 PM
Oh, come on, guys. This isn't a mass-market release - they said it's for "sampling". The chips to support these capacities is currently very expensive. Give it a year or two, and the price will be going down to manageable amounts.
Releasing it now is a good idea, competitionwise: it throws down the gauntlet to Sandisk & co., and they'll have to respond in kind with a $1,999 3GB card, and so on; before long it'll be before $1k.
Complaining about the price is kind of pointless right now... obviously, don't buy it, but don't assume that Pretec is smoking crack...
--bdj
krisbrown
11-21-2002, 04:59 PM
Duh!, that price is to cover the cost of the new tooling to make it, in 2 years time those cards will be tens of dollars.
Only 1 slight problem Microsoft ppc 2004 will require 5gig of memory space to install, don't laugh it's true, it's all one great big conspiracy.
It seems crazy that any company would release products at such a rediculas price.
As i could buy 10 1 Gb Micro Drives for the cost of one of the 3 Gb CF Cards and still have change to buy a 3970 and a CF jacket?
Why do they bother.....
dud
Kati Compton
11-21-2002, 05:51 PM
It seems crazy that any company would release products at such a rediculas price.
As i could buy 10 1 Gb Micro Drives for the cost of one of the 3 Gb CF Cards and still have change to buy a 3970 and a CF jacket?
Why do they bother.....
dud
To show that they can. Most new technology comes out as being too expensive at first.
Okay, let's see. Hmmm. A Tablet PC or 3Gb of CF Memory. Tough decision. :?
It seems crazy that any company would release products at such a rediculas price.
As i could buy 10 1 Gb Micro Drives for the cost of one of the 3 Gb CF Cards and still have change to buy a 3970 and a CF jacket?
Why do they bother.....
dud
To show that they can. Most new technology comes out as being too expensive at first.
There is a fine line of insanity here when it comes to New Product Development, just because you can make a product doesn't necessarily mean you should.
As at the end of the day you've got to make a living... and you’re not going to do that by NOT selling your product because it’s ridiculously expensive.
dud.
sponge
11-21-2002, 06:34 PM
So now the speed of discoveries, etc, should be slowed down so people can afford them. No thanks. Nothing wrong with R&D, no matter how costly it takes to make. This just happened to be the result of some successful R&D, so maybe they'll make a few bucks off of it.
I've never seen so many people complain when something new and better than anything yet comes out.
I'd sure love to figure out a way to be able to mount iPods, Archos, etc, as storage cards. Windows can apparently do it already, with the no driver USB keys, and other devices defined as mass storage.
Though if you run Linux on your iPaq, perhaps you could recompile the iPod apps.. :P
Perry Reed
11-21-2002, 06:40 PM
I'd sure love to figure out a way to be able to mount iPods, Archos, etc, as storage cards. Windows can apparently do it already, with the no driver USB keys, and other devices defined as mass storage.
Though if you run Linux on your iPaq, perhaps you could recompile the iPod apps.. :P
I, too, would love to be able to connect my Archos to my Jornada. I think the simplest solution would be a CF card that implements USB host. While I would prefer a solution that didn't tie up my CF card slot, I think this would be easiest. I'm actually surprised to have not yet seen a CF card USB adapter.
Announcements like this are good. Cause more companies will surely look at their 512MB CF cards and Pretec's muti-GB CF cards and realize they need to keep up. Thus more competition = lower prices = happy consumers. Supply & Demand takes awhile, wait for it to hit equilibrium.
sponge
11-21-2002, 07:55 PM
If they made a mass portable MP3 player with WiFi or BT, it would be heaven, plus it would take filesharing to an all new level :P
sweetpete
11-21-2002, 08:13 PM
I don't see why everyone is complaining about the price on this announcement. Look, lets get real, the 1GB Microdrive that everyone compares this to, was (at one point) close to these prices.
It is expensive to reasearch and develop this type of solid state memory in these sizes (both physical and logical!). The reason for the announcement is that Comdex is a trade show. They will be selling the limited production they have to companies that want to develop products around it as well as businessed that need that size and type of portable memory (and to most large companies $2500 is nothing for R&D costs).
I don't think people realize that there ARE companies and people out there that don't mind paying these types of prices. Ed pointed out the perfect example ... a professional digital camera capable of 11 MegaPixel resolution produces large file sizes. A newspaper photographer that goes out and shoots hundreds of shots at a sporting event can easily burn through one of these in no time. Independent photographers can recover that money by selling 1 picture, but they have to take a couple thousand just to come across that one.
Like most of you say, give it a year or two and these will be in the sub $1000 category and we'll all be plugging them into our PPC2005's :lol:
For now, go spend the $2500 on the TabletPC
NicolasW
11-21-2002, 08:16 PM
......and you could get 1GB CF cards now for around $300-400.
How about a 1GB microdrive for $227 http://www.buymstar.com/detailsSto.asp?pid=829
cpoole
11-21-2002, 08:17 PM
Don't forget that there are many people that have different requirments and budgets that you an I do. I think that a professional photographer using a high end digital camera working out in the field might feel more comfortable with a solid state device rather than micro hard drive.
don dre
11-21-2002, 09:10 PM
I'll give you a solid state!! :wink:
klinux
11-21-2002, 09:36 PM
A smart (i.e not rich) photograph would just get a bunch of 1gb microdrive or CF cards plus either a firewire CF reader or one of those standalone devices that transfer data from card to a 20 giger.
ECOslin
11-21-2002, 09:54 PM
How many movies do you need to use this for, on your PDA?
I can imagine using this for a remote device, a PDA that is collecting/recording information over a period of time. Of course I'd have to add an external battery pack, for my Maestro, to keep it running any worthwhile time.
So, how many of you are using your PDA as a portable bugging device?
Edward
http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:KkGrGdch-_YC:www.whiteradio.com/audio/Listenlogo%
ECOslin
11-21-2002, 10:10 PM
I use a 64mb card CF for my camera, a Kodak DC280 zoom, and that's been the most I've ever needed.
I loaned one of my 128mb cards to my Dad when he took a trip to Europe. He used it, but I don't believe he filled it.
I use the max picture size that my camera will take, and I've only used up to 64mb. (1760 x 1168) My Dad compains when I email him huge pictures. I occasionally edit my pictures to get rid of elements that I don't want. Like redeye, telephone poles, removing buildings, adding buildings, etc...
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?cameras=kodak_dc280&method=sidebyside
When he takes pictures he never uses the full picture-size capability of his Fuji digital 'Palm-sized' looking CF-using camera.
Edward
http://img.dpreview.com/reviews/images/kodak_dc280.gif
szamot
11-21-2002, 10:17 PM
It seems crazy that any company would release products at such a rediculas price.
As i could buy 10 1 Gb Micro Drives for the cost of one of the 3 Gb CF Cards and still have change to buy a 3970 and a CF jacket?
Why do they bother.....
dud
Now ask yourself this. Would you rather carry 10 1gig drives in your pocket or 1 CF card. I take the card. I don't need it today so I will not buy it. But in a year or so when it is in the discount bin for $600 hell I will get me 2 because they will have 10 gig cards for $2900. It is all relative to what you need vs. what you want.
sweetpete
11-21-2002, 11:57 PM
I use a 64mb card CF for my camera, a Kodak DC280 zoom, and that's been the most I've ever needed.
I loaned one of my 128mb cards to my Dad when he took a trip to Europe. He used it, but I don't believe he filled it.
I use the max picture size that my camera will take, and I've only used up to 64mb. (1760 x 1168) My Dad compains when I email him huge pictures. I occasionally edit my pictures to get rid of elements that I don't want. Like redeye, telephone poles, removing buildings, adding buildings, etc...
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?cameras=kodak_dc280&method=sidebyside
When he takes pictures he never uses the full picture-size capability of his Fuji digital 'Palm-sized' looking CF-using camera.
Edward
http://img.dpreview.com/reviews/images/kodak_dc280.gif
Edward, you can't compare a consumer usage on a relatively lower res camera (2 MegaPixel) to a pro or semi-pro camera being used intensively (I mean several hundred pictures in 3 hours) used at a much higer resolution (11 MegaPixel). My buddy works in the imaging department of a local newspaper, and the file sizes of the digital pix are 30-40 mb.
My Canon S40 easily takes up to 3-4 mb /image in RAW mode. Using JPEG compression (not set to Ultra-Fine), I get images in the 1-1.5 mb range. On a recent 1 week trip to the Carribean I took about 1.5GB worth of pictures. I have a 256 mb CF card and my laptop, but I could have left my laptop at home with one of these babies. Doesn't mean I'll be buying one anytime soon at these prices, but it's obvious that there are situations where it is convenient and/or necessary to have.
Also, as someone else pointed out, a pro photographer would prefer a solid state memory device that has a MUCH smaller chance of failure compared to a MicroDrive with moving parts.
ECOslin
11-22-2002, 12:52 AM
Sweetpete: Sorry, I wasn't thinking of what a professional photographer would use it for, I was thinking of what I could/couldn't use it for.
I use to take medium format pictures with a used Pentax 6x7, I then traded down for less field work and more darkroom work with a new Pentax P3, a basic but more portable 35mm.
I still think of medium and large format as being film, old school!.
Now-a-days, I just use my Kodak for my pictures, and a computer and a scanner as my darkroom
Edward
sweetpete
11-22-2002, 01:55 AM
I agree about the film debate. I definitely still love the medium, but I would love on of the new Canon Eos 1Ds. I mean 11 mega pixels ... WOW
Now, if I can only forgoe buying a car, I can get a $9000 camera, a $2500 CF card, and have a few thousand left over for a couple lenses :lol:
Jason Dunn
11-22-2002, 02:27 AM
Oh, come on, guys. This isn't a mass-market release - they said it's for "sampling". The chips to support these capacities is currently very expensive. Give it a year or two, and the price will be going down to manageable amounts.
Releasing it now is a good idea, competitionwise: it throws down the gauntlet to Sandisk & co., and they'll have to respond in kind with a $1,999 3GB card, and so on; before long it'll be before $1k.
Complaining about the price is kind of pointless right now... obviously, don't buy it, but don't assume that Pretec is smoking crack...
--bdj
Hey! Who let someone rational into these forums! :wink: Where's that community moderator when I need him... :lol:
Rob Alexander
11-22-2002, 02:39 AM
And, right now, only the Canon's EOS-1Ds support the Fat32 file system, so other camera are stopped at 2G with fat16! But someone paying 8999$ for a camera, will buy a 2500$ mem card without a problem! :)
I don't know.... that I'd pay $25,000 for a car doesn't mean I'd pay $5,000 for tires. Photographer or not, I can't imagine that many people would pay this price when the same capacity is available for less than half that amount by buying 512MB cards, but you know there are some companies that would.
It's like BigDaddyJ said, it's all a process and the first one of anything off the line is very expensive. No one at Pretec thinks you or I are going to spend that much on one of these, but someone had to get the ball rolling at some price.
This is really good news for us because we'll never see 3GB CF cards at reasonable prices until after we've seen 3GB CF cards at unreasonable prices. Now we're on our way.
Steven Cedrone
11-22-2002, 02:50 AM
Hey! Who let someone rational into these forums! :wink: Where's that community moderator when I need him... :lol:
Seems like every time I turn around, something like this happens! :wink:
Steve
Steven Cedrone
11-22-2002, 06:35 PM
My only other question: Has the Master O'Mayhem picked one up yet? :wink: Maybe a poll and some side bets are in order!!!
Steve
st63z
11-23-2002, 08:32 AM
And, right now, only the Canon's EOS-1Ds support the Fat32 file system, so other camera are stopped at 2G with fat16! But someone paying 8999$ for a camera, will buy a 2500$ mem card without a problem! :)
My previous lowly Panasonic SV-AV10 $400 "toy" also supported FAT32, I'd found out... (I can't believe they're still selling it even now at retail, I'm still waiting on a 2nd-gen version with improvements)
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