IDC Umpires the Microdrive vs. Flash Memory Fight

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://brighthand.com/article/IDC_Compares_Microdrives_NAND' target='_blank'>http://brighthand.com/article/IDC_C...icrodrives_NAND</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Everyone has heard of Palm's LifeDrive, which has a built-in 4 GB microdrive, but many other handhelds and smartphones with gigabytes of internal storage are in development. And not every company is taking Palm's route. HTC is reportedly working on a Windows Mobile phone with 4 GB of Flash memory. . . Currently, many companies are putting microdrives in their mobile devices because it's the less expensive option. However this may change, as IDC expects that the average selling price for flash memory will decrease at a 43 percent compound annual growth rate from 2004 to 2009. . . Factors such as total capacity requirements, form-factor, power consumption, weight, durability, data rates, as well as strategic OEM and storage supplier alliances, weigh heavily."</i> <br /><br />ITC go out on a limb to predict that both mini hard drives and flash memory will still be available in 2008. Gosh. Who would have thought it? You can buy the full report <a href="http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS20016005">here</a> and remember, if you have to ask the cost, you can't afford it. By the way, IDC's report is called "A Hard Choice That Won't be Made in a Flash: HDD Versus NAND". Very punny. :wink: Personally I would not buy a standalone microdive as Flash cards are large and cheap enough. However I would not actively avoid devices that had internal microdrives. How about you guys?

[johnm]

Well for me it is a pretty obvious choice. I'm on my 3rd Hitachi microdrive in 2 years. Each of the previous 2 have failed in less than 10 months of 'my' normal use. I'll avoid these things like the plague from now on. I only have the 3rd because it was replaced on warranty. These things are just not designed to be used under anything but the lightest conditions. In fact just keeping power on them all the time (such as keeping your pocketPC in the dock 8 hours a day) will slowly kill it. I'm so scared of my new one, I'm keeping my CF slot powered off (registry trick) when I'm not using it.

I will never buy another microdrive. The thought of having one built in where it can't easily be replaced gives me the chills. Flash all the way from here on out.

[pocketpcadmirer]

Hi johnm !! I really do feel sorry to hear your sad story.

I dont know why external micro drives are so fragile and error-prone :?:
If apple can use them effectively then why not pocket pc manufactures. Just go in for the apple way of getting them fixed right. Also, to move one step ahead of apple, fix them in ppc in such a manner so that they can be swapped(not hot-swapping), but the nokia way..ie hide it from user but in future if a user wants to upgrade to a better,bigger one, he/she can easily just buy one and install it himself with no tech knowledge.

What do u think guys(and u sir darius,sir janak,sir hansberry) ??

Sunny :idea:

[IpaqMan2]

I agree with the statement about Apple..if they can do it right than why not a PC OEM.I also like the idea about a swappable micro HDD. It would allow a PPC to be upgraded if the user desired - see how HDD will usually always be cheaper and give more stoarge for the price than flash.

[biglouis]

Personally, I'd like the choice but as more manufacturers are producing flash-only expansion slots for their devices hasn't the decision already been made for us?

Thank goodness that mini-SD capacities are already available up to 2GB or we'd all be in trouble by the decision by HTC to make many of the new smartphone devices with mini-SD only.

I find it hard to believe that prices will not fall faster than predicted, btw, unless they are kept artificially high by some kind of (illegal) price fixing by the manufacturers.

LouisB

[pocketpcadmirer]

Personally, I'd like the choice but as more manufacturers are producing flash-only expansion slots for their devices hasn't the decision already been made for us?

Thank goodness that mini-SD capacities are already available up to 2GB or we'd all be in trouble by the decision by HTC to make many of the new smartphone devices with mini-SD only.

I find it hard to believe that prices will not fall faster than predicted, btw, unless they are kept artificially high by some kind of (illegal) price fixing by the manufacturers.

LouisB

Yes I agree to you mate. Take the example of sony's memory stick, which is still expensive when compared to other media like CF, SD, MMC etc.

Sunny

[Steve Jordan]

I'd much rather stick with flash... solid state memory and no moving parts means less power consumption and no risk of a mechanical failure. No question to me.

[Kursplat]

I, too, lean more towards the flash memory.

...as Flash cards are large and cheap enough

Ironically, this story is only two posts on the front page after an article about a $7000 Compact Flash card. So much for the "cheap enough." 8O

[Jonathon Watkins]

Ironically, this story is only two posts on the front page after an article about a $7000 Compact Flash card. So much for the "cheap enough." 8O

Be fair. That's for a 12Gb bleeding edge device. What about the Kingston 4GB CompactFlash Card for $222.50 USD (http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=376300) front page post. THAT's cheep enough. :wink:

[dangerwit]

Four microdrives in 2 years for me, no dropping, or abuse. Nice idea, but back to the drawing board. Way too power hungry and unreliable.

[SassKwatch]

I 've had (and still have) 2 MD's....one of the original IBM 1GB drives and one of the 2GB Hitachis.

Never had an iota of trouble with either one. Not once. And I don't 'baby' them either. The IBM version was originally purchased while I owned a 38xx series iPAQ and was used in that device for well over a year. Then was used in a digicam for another couple(?) yr after that until I needed something bigger......which is when I purchased the Hitachi.

In each instance, the MD was considerably cheaper than an equivalently sized CF card *at the time of purchase* and write speeds were quicker with the MD.

It appears the write speeds of some CF cards are beginning to overtake the MD's. And if/when I decide I need additional space, or if/when one of the MD's finally breaks down, I may switch to CF. But it's not a given. Write speeds would have to be considerably quicker if the price differential remains.

And FWIW, in my experience, the whole power consumption issue has been a non-issue. The difference between NAND and HD has been all but negligible here.