1gb SD v 1gb CF Which to choose?

[Stephen Beesley]

Well now that I have discovered the joy of converting DVDs to divx format and watching them on my Toshiba, 256mb of card storage is just not enough. With the recent reductions in price of SD memory it seems that 1gb of memory in either SD or CF format will set me back about €80 on ebay, but I just cannot make up my mind which to go for.

SD would have the advantage of leaving my CF slot free for my existing 256mb card and/or any CF accessories (maybe BT) that i might get in the future. It also has the advantage that pretty much any device I am likely to buy in the near future is going to be compatible with it.

The only thing stopping me going with the SD option is my complete lack of knowledge about SD v CF in terms of speed. If I do go with a 1gb card (whichever format) I anticipate using it to load most of my programs onto as well as all my documents and as much video and wmv music as I cram on. In that situation are there speed/reliability issues weighing one way or the other?

[Darius Wey]

Each brand produces it's own type of flash memory, and so although you know it as two separate specifications (SD and CF), there are variants in each specification in terms of speed, but you have to visit the company websites to know how fast their cards are. Some makes of SD cards are faster than some other makes of CF cards, and vice versa.

I can see a lot of benefits if you get the SD card due to its future compatibility and also the fact that your CF slot will be free for your accessories. Also, they have SD to CF adaptors but not the other way around, so if you ever need to use your SD card in a CF slot, the option is there.

If I was in your shoes, I'd definitely go for the SD card.

[Stephen Beesley]

...If I was in your shoes, I'd definitely go for the SD card.

I think that is the way I am leaning!

[Deus]

I agree with ^

[KimVette]

If you think you ever might use a CF GPS, network, or tuner/capture card, definitely go with the SD card.

If it's for watching movies and playing MP3 files, CF might give you better frame rates due to the superior transfer rate.

[Stephen Beesley]

If you think you ever might use a CF GPS, network, or tuner/capture card, definitely go with the SD card.

If it's for watching movies and playing MP3 files, CF might give you better frame rates due to the superior transfer rate.

Damn - you have perfectly captured my conundrum :D. The idea of CF gps card or maybe a CF GSM/GPRS module one day in the future interests me which is one reason I would like to keep the CF slot available. But, as one of the major purposes for all that space would be carrying movies and mp3s with me the transfer rate is something i am worried about.

I guess I had better get out and do some comparitve research - got to love the net....

[surur]

Pay $10 more and get a faster SD card. The obvious benefits of a SD card (future compatibility, leaving your CF slot free etc) is worth more money, even if a slower SD card costs the same as a CF card.

Its worth your money when your next pocketpc does not have a CF card, or your next camera/ cell phone takes SD cards, and you wont have to throw away your CF card.

Surur

[disconnected]

I'm looking forward to getting the iPAQ 4700 so I'll have two slots. I'm thinking that I'll keep all my apps and files that I use all the time on my sd card and never remove it. Then I can swap things in and out of the CF slot as needed... cards with music, movies, maps, camera, etc. It's not like I'd be using more than one of those at once.

[Stephen Beesley]

That is one scenario I am looking at - keeping my 256mb CF card for my apps and various document files and having 1gb of SD storage mainly for media files.

The other possiblility is that I might pick up one of Socket's flush mounting (http://www.socketcom.com/product/BL4508-309.asp) CF BlueTooth cards which would nicely complement the wifi in my Toshiba. I would then rely on the SD card for everything.