A Great Travelling Companion for a Pocket PC

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.smartdisk.com/Press%20Releases/PR2003/FlashTraxAnnounced.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.smartdisk.com/Press%20Re...axAnnounced.asp</a><br /><br /></div>"SmartDisk Corporation has introduced its new FlashTrax handheld portable device for offloading and storing digital images and music. FlashTrax is being showcased in Booth H164 at PMA International, The Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, March 2-5, 2003. FlashTrax can safely store high-resolution images transferred from any flash memory card onto the built-in 30GB USB2.0 hard drive and displays them on a 3.5" LCD that outperforms tiny on-camera screens. By using the sleek control pad, the user can change the image, zoom in, zoom out and scroll, or choose a slide show function - all without the need of a PC. The LCD folds to ensure that both the screen and control buttons remain protected while in field use. Images may be viewed on the LCD screen or on any TV using the included remote control. To facilitate portability, FlashTrax also includes a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery.<br /><br />"FlashTrax brings new freedom to photographers," says Charles Klinker, Director-Marketing for SmartDisk. "The ability to offload images from flash memory cards to the built-in hard drive represents a lower cost alternative to purchasing multiple, expensive flash memory cards." A built-in MP3 player makes this device even more attractive - more than 7,000 compressed audio files can be stored and played back through the built-in speaker, headphones or external speakers. Various play modes are easily controlled from the user-friendly screen display and control pad, making music selection quick and easy."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.smartdisk.com/images/FlashTrax/FlashTraxLg.jpg" /><br /><br />What an interesting-looking device! Giant 30 GB hard drive, large 3.5" screen, fast USB 2.0 transfer speeds...this looks like an excellent travelling companion for digital photographers. A Pocket PC can do some of these functions, but 30 GB is a lot of space, and this is a nice looking package...all said, $499 isn't too bad of a price either. I've been on more than one vacation without my laptop where I wished I had more storage!

[spursdude]

what about battery life? I imagine it's pretty weak....

But a sweet device overall.

[Sheynk]

kool device but it looks like a gameboy advance sp

[PJE]

I think to be successful this type of device needs more functionality. Where's the video player, Windows CE applications. etc... I'd prefer the harddrive not to have the display and have a Wi-Fi link to a PDA.

A Nexio s160 style device with the 30GB hard drive (and a faster CPU/BUS) would be my ideal combination.

My 2c

PJE

[yunez]

you could use this like an ipod..interesting

assuming it has:
-a slick interface for navigating 7000 mp3s
-good sound quality
-good battery life

[Jonathon Watkins]

Lets hope that there's more of these kind of devices on the way. Actually, lets fit one of those 30Gb HDs to a PPC! 8O Can I have one please? :wink:

[Perry Reed]

Nice! A single use device, but well suited for that use.

[Thoughtful Guy]

Cut it by $200 and you'd be right there. At $500 the price is way too close to a basic laptop. I understand that there's a lot of hardware in there but the limited functionality has to have some bearing on the price relative to a full fledged computer.

[R K]

Isn't Microsoft supposed to be releasing the Media2Go platform this year?
Then there will be a whole lot of similar devices that do what people here are wanting: MP3 playback, video playback, etc.
I think the Media2Go devices also include hard drives and are priced in the $300 - $500 range.
Some would say that this conflicts with the Pocket PCs though.

[isrjt]

That form factor, sure looks nice. What about throwing on a little larger screen and the CE os on it???

[karinatwork]

Now that's some device! Our entire CD collection would fit onto this thing. Sure looks very interesting. Battery life and actual dimensions would interest me too. I am looking forward to more such devices hitting the market. 8)

[Cortex]

too expensive...


we need someone to write a driver to support an external hard drive for the pocketpc. you can get a 120Gb external hardisk for $250 and your pocket pc can be the viewer....

granted it would be as small but people could definately come up with a sleeve system -- esp for ipaqs.

[Pony99CA]

Cut it by $200 and you'd be right there. At $500 the price is way too close to a basic laptop. I understand that there's a lot of hardware in there but the limited functionality has to have some bearing on the price relative to a full fledged computer.
If you were more "thoughtful" :lol: you'd realize that a 20 GB iPod, without a color screen, costs $499. If this device can play MP3s as well as an iPod, $500 would be a reasonable price.

I personally think it looks really cool, but it really should support video playback, too. A 30 GB hard drive is perfect for that.

Steve

[Pony99CA]

too expensive...

we need someone to write a driver to support an external hard drive for the pocketpc. you can get a 120Gb external hardisk for $250 and your pocket pc can be the viewer....

granted it would be as small but people could definately come up with a sleeve system -- esp for ipaqs.
Do you mean something like the Storage Brick (http://www.tjotala.com/hardware/storagebrick/default.htm)?

Steve

P.S. I think you meant that it would not be as small.

[vincentsiaw]

i don't think i need the LCD screen, my 3900 have a georgeous screen, perhaps i just bought the bluetooth hardrive over this thing.

[Solarix]

iPod this, iPod that. Come on people. The iPod isn't that great a unit, Creative has had the Nomad HDD based player for a while now. And you can upgrade the HardDrive in those little things to. You can get a Nomad Jukebox 3 with a 20GB HDD for 299.99 direct from Creative. ($100 more for the 40GB version) It has LithIon Battery for 11 hours of Playback, Additional slot for another battery, Direct in Recording, USB 1.1, 2.0 & Firewire support. And considered the best quality sound by Audiophiles abroad. The iPod is only doing the same thing the 36xx iPaq's did, make their type of device known. And if u want something smaller, Creative also has "The Zen" with 20GB of storage.

Now I don't own a newer Creative Jukebox, so I am not trying to justify a purcahse or anything.

$500 does sound about like a good price for that unit, but it seems like such a niche market for a device like this, that it is almost a moot point. I mean how many people are gonna spend $500.00 on a device for use only when they are away from a computer for a matter of days?

Just my thoughts............

[ctmagnus]

Creative has had the Nomad HDD based player for a while now. And you can upgrade the HardDrive in those little things to. You can get a Nomad Jukebox 3 with a 20GB HDD for 299.99 direct from Creative. ($100 more for the 40GB version) It has LithIon Battery for 11 hours of Playback, Additional slot for another battery, Direct in Recording, USB 1.1, 2.0 & Firewire support. And considered the best quality sound by Audiophiles abroad. The iPod is only doing the same thing the 36xx iPaq's did, make their type of device known. And if u want something smaller, Creative also has "The Zen" with 20GB of storage.

Now I don't own a newer Creative Jukebox, so I am not trying to justify a purcahse or anything.

$500 does sound about like a good price for that unit, but it seems like such a niche market for a device like this, that it is almost a moot point. I mean how many people are gonna spend $500.00 on a device for use only when they are away from a computer for a matter of days?

Just my thoughts............

I bought an NJB3 when they were still fairly new in Canada. The main advantage it has over listening to an iPaq is it has it's Environmental Audio eXtensions, which basically make it sound better. Also, there are diehards that are working in sticking an 80GB harddrive in their NJB3(s), so they're somewhat upgradable even if you void your warranty by doing so.

IIRC, the Zen may also be upgradable to the larger harddrives, with the same warranty voidance. Check out Products.Nomad on news.creative.com for info.

[Jonathon Watkins]

If I was out in the field for any length og time with this thing I think I would be worried about the reliablity of the 30 Gb drive. How about one of these things that had RAID 1? (i.e. two 30Gb drive that are mirrored, so if one HD dies, your data is still OK).

If not, then solid state over mechanical moving parts any day!

[toshtoshtosh]

Think of digital photography hobbyists. They don't want to take laptop with them, they need to hold all their pictures in one place. They can view the pictures on a large screen (relative to the 1 inch camera screens) anywhere.

Pretty cool I think. $500 list price, $400 street price sounds fair.

[Pony99CA]

If I was out in the field for any length og time with this thing I think I would be worried about the reliablity of the 30 Gb drive. How about one of these things that had RAID 1? (i.e. two 30Gb drive that are mirrored, so if one HD dies, your data is still OK).

If not, then solid state over mechanical moving parts any day!
Adding another disk drive would significantly increase the cost. If this is targeted for professionals, maybe they wouldn't mind paying the extra price, but I'd be willing to take my chances.

Of course, if you want solid state memory, I hope you'll get a good interest rate on the loan for a 30 GB CF card. :lol:

Steve

[Jonathon Watkins]

Of course, if you want solid state memory, I hope you'll get a good interest rate on the loan for a 30 GB CF card. :lol:

Indeed. :) I have seen the prices on the 3Gb CF cards! :shocked!:

Still, I have lost data in HD failures and I would not like to trust vital data to one of these for any length of time. It would not cost That much extra to add a second 30Gb to one of these really. If it's worth shooting, it's worth keeping. :P