Is Compact Flash about to die?

[seidler]

Hi everybody,

I just read about the h1940, and I think the new devices are really getting better. But what is about Compact Flash. Do hardware manufacturers try to let it die out?

What I love about CF is:

long established standard, widely used in digital cameras
easy to use, good to handle
high capacities (just read that the 4Gig card is out)
compatible to PCMCIA, so usable in laptops, too; and: a wide range of devices, from BT, WiFi, LAN, Modem, GPS, GSM, GPRS, Barcode Scanner, etc.
fast (... enough for me) and cheap
tbc ...


So why the :devilboy: is everybody moving away from putting CF card slot in their devices? It doesn't make them bigger, it's just better. I love to have my Bluetooth CF card (or later WiFi) in and still having SD slot free for my files!

I think they just want to squeeze the money out of us by selling their stupidly pricey SD, XD a.s.o. cards. Not to forget SD I/O (even more costly). What's your opinion?

Stefan

[dh]

For me, having both CF and SD is essential on a PPC. I would never buy one that just had SD.
What's the point in having to take your memory out if you want to use a wireless card? What if you want to run an app on it while using WiFi?

Any don't give me that WiFi + Memory card thing. Who wants to keep a thingy sticking out of their PPC all the time.

Sorry, got to be two slots or no sale!

[Thefo]

Compact Flash will still be around for a while as the pro digital camera market still relies mainly on CF media. As far as Pocket PC's go maybe in the future (now that Microsoft has loosened the design restrictions) we may see devices with two SD slots instead of SD and CF combo's or maybe even two CF slots although this would add to the size of the unit.

[Jason Dunn]

...maybe in the future (now that Microsoft has loosened the design restrictions) we may see devices with two SD slots instead of SD and CF combo's or maybe even to CF slots although this would add to the size of the unit.

Microsoft never mandated that devices couldn't have two SD slots, or that they had to have a particular type of memory slot. It's up to the OEMs to drive this type of innovation...

[Jason Dunn]

So why the :devilboy: is everybody moving away from putting CF card slot in their devices? It doesn't make them bigger...

Sure it does! I love CF, but it's a much bigger card size than SD/MMC, and it takes up more space inside the device for the slot.

[Deus]

The 2215 Has one, and thats one of the newest devices. I don't see it going away for a while.

[Thefo]

The 2215 Has one, and thats one of the newest devices. I don't see it going away for a while.


Good point :)

[Sunnyone]

This topic reminds me so much of similar comments about our good ol' floppy drives. Look how long those have hung around.... I doubt that CF cards will be going away any time soon. They're still pretty prevalent - and until more SD IO products are out in the marketplace - I don't even see a slight chance that CF will go away. These types of changes usually take soooooooooooooo long to occur.

[don dre]

I agree, CF is here for a while. Dell, Toshiba, and now an ipaq all have them. even though Wifi isnow going to be out for SDIO, many will opt for th emuch cheaper CF version. AS long as CF can stay a step ahead of SD they will continue to exist. not too mention interoperability if digital cameras, laptops, etc.

[eustts]

Maybe I am different? This is the first PPC I have ever owned, so I don't have any CF cards. With WIFI and bluetooth built into my device, SD works just fine. I have no need to swap out cards to go wireless, only i I have access other data on another SD card.

If SDIO woulf take off, I think that more PPCs would have 2 SD slots so one would not have to switch....

:mrgreen:

[hollis_f]

I suppose a lot of the manufacturers assume that a lot of their potential customers will be first-time buyers. So they won't be concerned with retaining compatibility with the memory cards they already own. And the SD format would look quite attractive to such people.

But I see the fact that Compaq/HP are finally embracing the CF format in their high-end devices to be a good indication that it's by no means dead.

[aroma]

Maybe I am different? This is the first PPC I have ever owned, so I don't have any CF cards. With WIFI and bluetooth built into my device, SD works just fine. I have no need to swap out cards to go wireless, only i I have access other data on another SD card.

Nope, you're not different. Ever since I went to the 5450, I've had no use for CF when it comes to my PPC. (Still use for my DSLR cameras.) I get along with my SD cards just fine.

I think pro level digital camers will keep CF around for quite a while.

- Aaron

[GadgetDave]

So why the :devilboy: is everybody moving away from putting CF card slot in their devices? It doesn't make them bigger...

Sure it does! I love CF, but it's a much bigger card size than SD/MMC, and it takes up more space inside the device for the slot.

But not much - and tell me when you get a 4GB SD card (or even a 2 GB) ... or when that SD Wifi card (or GPRS card or GPS connector or ...) are available.

You get the point. I want both. The 22xx isn't that big ... :)

[maximus]

So why the :devilboy: is everybody moving away from putting CF card slot in their devices?

Actually, in the world of PPC, everyone is moving into CFs.
Even stubborn hp/compaq finally has a PPC with integrated CF slot.

CF cards are being used in a lot of devices. It will be unfair to judge its existence from the PPC view only. In the area of digital photography, CF is a must. Most professional photographers prefers CF, due to it's characteristic (speed, capacity, etc.)

In my PPC, I use SD cards, that's only because I need the CF slot for other devices. If I can choose between a PPC with 1SD + 1CF slot, and a PPC with noSD + 2CF slots, I will choose the 2CF model (provided that the size is almost the same).

SDs are nice, problem is, its capacity is too small (256megs max at reasonable price). I find it a pain to have to remember which song I put in which SD card.

[seidler]

With WIFI and bluetooth built into my device, SD works just fine.
Well, that a good point, but on the other hand it isn't. :roll:
The thing is: Bluetooth may change. WiFi may change. One day no one will care about 11MBit WiFi, but 54MBit or more. Then you're stuck with your built-ins and wish you could just take them out and just plug in a new one.
(N.B.: I hope we'll see BT-WiFi-Combi cards in the near future :wink: :wink: :wink: )
And still, I agree that CF may not be the best for memory (although gives sizes and prices, it still is!), but for peripheral devices, it's unbeatable.

Stefan

P.S.: Of course, just buying a new PocketPC everytime they have new features built in is an option ---- for those with enough money 8)

[wizardmaster2k]

I LOVE CF, it is faster, larger sizes, cheaper, and compatable with a lot of devises

DS/MMC is slower, more expensive, has COPY-RIGHT protection!, and did I mention copy-right?

CF is just what it is ment to be, cheap flash memory without any protection and gold-connector crap like smart media and mmc/sd.

LONG LIVE CF!

[maximus]

Bluetooth may change. WiFi may change. One day no one will care about 11MBit WiFi, but 54MBit or more. Then you're stuck with your built-ins and wish you could just take them out and just plug in a new one.

Well, 5 years from now, I certainly will not be using my current PPC.

Bluetooth may change, wifi may change, PPCs change too.

[aroma]

Well, that a good point, but on the other hand it isn't. :roll:
The thing is: Bluetooth may change. WiFi may change. One day no one will care about 11MBit WiFi, but 54MBit or more. Then you're stuck with your built-ins and wish you could just take them out and just plug in a new one.


Nah... PPC's are becomming a too much of a consumable to worry about these issues.

- Aaron

[Stephen Beesley]

Nah... PPC's are becomming a too much of a consumable to worry about these issues.

- Aaron

Hmmm - maybe in your part of the world, but in Ireland and Australia (the two parts I can talk about) PPCs, even the cheapest ones, are still a considerable investment - especially nce you start talking about something with built in wifi or bluetooth.

As for SDIO doing away with the need for CF I think it is going to be quite a while (years) before SDIO devices are as cheap as the equivilant CF device (look at how long it took for CF wifi to become as cheap and available as CF PCMCIA cards). By that time I have no doubt there will be yet another newer format pushing the boundries of what is possible and the same debate will be raging about the death of SD cards!

Goldtee

[aroma]

Hmmm - maybe in your part of the world, but in Ireland and Australia (the two parts I can talk about) PPCs, even the cheapest ones, are still a considerable investment - especially nce you start talking about something with built in wifi or bluetooth.


8O

Newton MP110 > MP120 > MP130 > MP2k > HP545 > HP568 > ????

Looks like you've done your fair share of migrading around on PDAs though! ;)

[Sunnyone]

Personally, I hope CF stays around for a good long while. While I may change PPCs in the next year or so, I made quite an investment in a digital camera that takes CF and I know that I won't be upgrading it any time soon. I enjoy being able to swap cards so that I can view my pics on my PPC. For that reason alone, I'll be looking for a new PPC with a CF slot.

[Stephen Beesley]

8O

Newton MP110 > MP120 > MP130 > MP2k > HP545 > HP568 > ????

Looks like you've done your fair share of migrading around on PDAs though! ;)

True enough :)

But apart from the HP545 (which was a work device) and my HP568 (which I got cheap just after they were discontinued) all of my PDAs have been very second hand!

Goldtee