Wired: "Cannibals Descend on MP3 Players"

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,62509,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5' target='_blank'>http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,62509,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_5</a><br /><br /></div>"Digital photographers have found a source of cheap microdrives for their cameras: Creative Technology's MuVo2 digital music player. Like Apple Computer's iPod mini, the MuVo2 is based on a 4-GB microdrive from Hitachi. But while the Hitachi microdrive retails for about $500 when sold as a storage device for digital cameras, the MuVo2 costs about $200. As someone put it on a website forum, you get the microdrive for more than 50 percent off, and a free pair of headphones."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/89_f.jpg" /><br /><br />This story has been kicking around for over a month, so I'm a little surprised that Wired is just picking it up now. If this sounds tempting, you'd better act fast: I read a comment from someone who contacted Hitachi, and they're starting to put a new version of the hard drive in the MuVo2 that won't work in other devices, just like the one in the iPod mini. 4 GB of storage...nice! But I shudder to think what this would do to the battery life on my camera - I think I'll stick to my 2 GB worth of CF flash memory that I carry with my camera (1 GB x 1, 512 MB x 2). Anyone tried this hack to get the 4 GB micro drive?

[michael]

I thought about it, but I'm not going to try it. The microdrives use up two much power and I'd be concerned about data integrity. If I drop a flash card I can be reasonably sure the data will still be accessible, drop a microdrive and you could damage the disk, not only do you lose the photos you lose the use of the card as well. It's just too much risk for my photos. For now I'll stick to high capacity flash cards (but not too high - don't want all the eggs in one basket).

[Neil Enns]

I've actually done this and it was the best thing I've ever done for my digital camera. Took me less than 10 minutes. And I still have a MuVo2, since I put my old 1GB microdrive in it instead.

My previous storage media for my 10D was a 1GB microdrive. Despite all the random blather about reliability concerns it has been a rock solid performer ever since I got my camera. At the time the price difference between a 1GB Microdrive and a 1GB CF was significant enough for me to change.

The problem with 1GB is it isn't big enough. I frequently go to events like weddings or something and fill the 1GB. It's restrictive. The beauty of digital cameras is that the "film" is cheap and you can take as many shots as you want and cull them later. 1GB simply isn't big enough, especially when shooting RAW (you are shooting RAW, aren't you?).

Enter the 4GB Microdrive. It's vastly more affordable when ripped out of a Muvo2 than a 4GB CF card. I never have to worry about filling it up. And I really don't have to worry about reliability, since I'm copying the files straight back to my PC when I get home anyway. I don't batch up days and days of photos before making backups.

The 4GB drive is noticably slower than CF, and slightly slower than my old 1GB drive. But the only time that really kicks in is when I'm doing burst shots and need to wait for the buffer to write out (which isn't too often). Dropping it isn't a concern either: the card is either in my camera, or in my reader at home. I never have it out loose in my bag, and I'm never swapping in the field. I don't have to, it's big enough to hold everything :)

Battery life isn't an issue for me either: I shoot with BigEd attached to my 10D all the time anyway, and I've never come close to running it out of juice. Besides, extra batteries are cheap (~$11)!

In case you couldn't tell, I love my 4GB drive :)

[michael]

Well I've decided to give it a shot. I just got one of eBay, should be here in a few days so I can see what it's like before doing anything serious with it.

[Jason Dunn]

I'm really tempted to get one, but I've yet to exhaust my 2GB worth of flash memory, even at long events (there are always crappy shots I delete on down time).

[Neil Enns]

If you've got 2GB in reasonable sized chunks of flash I can see not needing the 4GB. I like not having to swap cards in the middle of an event, but if it's only one swap or two, it wouldn't be too awful.

[Gary Sheynkman]

wonder what kind of HD does the 40gb iPod use?? :wink:

[stitics]

Slightly unrelated, but is there a reason this wouldnt work for use with a PPC as well?

I suppose it's not unrelated, so much as there's a better place for it (PPCT) perhaps.

[Jason Dunn]

Slightly unrelated, but is there a reason this wouldnt work for use with a PPC as well? I suppose it's not unrelated, so much as there's a better place for it (PPCT) perhaps.

Actually I posted it on PPCT today. ;-) But, yes, it should work.

[backpackerx]

the only problems I've ever read of for microdrives in PPC's were for the early IBM 360MB drives that drew too much power for a PPC to handle. I suppose it would be a good idea to check this out to see if a 4GB would work fine.

[Gary Sheynkman]

hmm...Ive seen a couple of 4gb microdrives on Ebay for around 200 bucks...this gives me an interesting idea :twisted:

[Suhit Gupta]

wonder what kind of HD does the 40gb iPod use?? :wink:
I believe it uses one of those 40GB Toshiba drives (don't quote me on this though).

Suhit

[Janak Parekh]

I believe it uses one of those 40GB Toshiba drives (don't quote me on this though).
Yes, I believe it's this one (http://sdd.toshiba.com/cda/main.aspx?Path=/818200000007000000010000659800001516/81820000010d000000010000659c000003b7/8182000000e6000000010000659c000003be/8182000000e9000000010000659c00000370/8182000007f8000000010000659c00001aaa). News reports seem to confirm this.

--janak

[Suhit Gupta]

Yes, I believe it's this one (http://sdd.toshiba.com/cda/main.aspx?Path=/818200000007000000010000659800001516/81820000010d000000010000659c000003b7/8182000000e6000000010000659c000003be/8182000000e9000000010000659c00000370/8182000007f8000000010000659c00001aaa). News reports seem to confirm this.
Yeah, that is what I thought, but I couldn't find an actual official site saying so. Need to look harder on Google ;-).

Suhit