Jornada 568, extended battery with MMC slot and SD cards

[Stephen Beesley]

Just wondering if any Jornada users (past or present) on the list have any experience with using an SD memory card in the extended battery with MMC slot. I have read mixed reports on the web, but would really appreciate some first hand experience from another forum member.

I am also wondering about the increase in size with this battery and just how noticable it is.

With the current price cuts on Jornada accessories I was thinking of getting myself a couple of these batteries (not to mention the pocket keyboard!).

My new plan (boy am I changable) is to keep my Jornada in service until something really good comes along. Maybe wait until PPC 2004

Goldtee

[rhmorrison]

With the current price cuts on Jornada accessories
AND... What are the current prices? ...and, from WHERE?

[Certified Optimist]

I've got both the extended battery (without SD slot) and the HP pocket keyboard.

The extended battery is DEFINATELY well worth getting. I use it all the time when I go travelling (games...) and it does make a HUGE difference to how long you can use your 568.

The HP Pocketop keyboard is great for when you want to ICQ and there is not enough room to use a foldable keyboard (using the Pocktopkeyboard). I wouldn't use it for writing long, long letters... but, writing a short email or chatting with a friend = perfect!

[Stephen Beesley]

I've got both the extended battery (without SD slot) and the HP pocket keyboard.

The extended battery is DEFINATELY well worth getting. I use it all the time when I go travelling (games...) and it does make a HUGE difference to how long you can use your 568.

The HP Pocketop keyboard is great for when you want to ICQ and there is not enough room to use a foldable keyboard (using the Pocktopkeyboard). I wouldn't use it for writing long, long letters... but, writing a short email or chatting with a friend = perfect!

Thanks for the response - just the sort of thing I was hoping to hear.

I could never see the need for the the Keyboard until I started using my Jornada with a wifi card. I have found it an excellent way of keeping in touch with messenger etc, but now I can see how useful the keyboard is!

Goldtee

[Certified Optimist]

I could never see the need for the the Keyboard until I started using my Jornada with a wifi card. I have found it an excellent way of keeping in touch with messenger etc, but now I can see how useful the keyboard is! Goldtee

Yes, that is the exact set-up I am using it for: WiFi (LinkSys CF1 & CF2 card), HP keyboard and extended battery. And... since I pay per minutes of usuage I will usually connect to my mailbox, ICQ and surf at the same time. With my CF modem that never worked, but with the WiFi card it's flawless.

Happiness

[mxm]

I am also wondering about the increase in size with this battery and just how noticable it is.

I should tell you, i've had the extended battery and the PC card adaptor, and in my opinion they where huge! and pretty heavy, reminded me of the old days when i owned a HP onmi 100. But it added a lot of extra battery life.

[Certified Optimist]

Yes, the extended battery with the built in PC card adaptor is huge.

But... I am using the extended battery that does not include the PC card adaptor... and it does not add that much weigh or size...

It's basically two normal batteries which they've slapped onto eachother, so one of them sticks out when you've connected the battery, i.e. your 568 is slightly thicker and heavier.

I then use the built in CF slot for my WiFi card together with my HP thumboard or my PocketTop keyboard. Works like a charm!

Since I've got all my games + "non-vital" applications on a CF card I've got plenty of RAM left for surfing. "non-vital" applications are any applications what I would normally not use when WiFi'ing, e.g. PalmReader + games.

[Stephen Beesley]

I am also wondering about the increase in size with this battery and just how noticable it is.

I should tell you, i've had the extended battery and the PC card adaptor, and in my opinion they where huge! and pretty heavy, reminded me of the old days when i owned a HP onmi 100. But it added a lot of extra battery life.

I just passed up on the opportunity to buy an extended battery PC card adaptor combo for this very reason. I looked at some pictures on the web and the damn thing looked like a brick! As it was only the extra battery life and the MMC slot that interested me I passed.

Goldtee

[Certified Optimist]

[quote="mxm"][quote=Goldtee]I just passed up on the opportunity to buy an extended battery PC card adaptor combo for this very reason. I looked at some pictures on the web and the damn thing looked like a brick! As it was only the extra battery life and the MMC slot that interested me I passed.

Goldtee

Goldtee - try to search for the extended battery only (no PC card or MMC buddle). It does not add that much weight and it's excellent for WiFi or long flights.

Did a quick search so you can see what it looks like http://www.nextag.com/HP_extended_battery_pack~4039042z9znz900039zz1z900039zzmainz2-htm

And a review on http://www.cewindows.net/wce/21/jornada680batt.htm

You could also consider getting an extra standard battery

[RedRamage]

I've got the Battery w/MMC slot (Not the Extended Battery... keeping my eyes open for one of those, but so far can't find one... :cry: ).

I have only used a couple of SD cards, but those have worked okay for me. They were memory cards only. Generally speaking, I think the MMC slot can handle a basic SD memory card, though I think some people have had problems with some (especially high memory) SD cards.

I try to stick with MMC cards... have a 4, a 16, and a 64 MMC card. You can NOT use any SDIO type cards.

An interesting side note... if you look at at the back of a MMC card, you see seven connectors. On the back of a SD card there are nine connectors. Looking at the connectors in the MMC slot of my PPC I see nine connectors so it almost seems the hardware is there to be an SD reader...

I wonder if the original plan was to have it as an SD reader but with the merger of HP and Compaq pending and the future of the Jornada line in question HP decided not to pay for the rights to the SD slot to Panasonic and instead just released it as a MMC slot...

[Sven Johannsen]

A good point to remember is that the MMC Battery is NOT and extended life battery, though it sticks out as far. I was never able to get anything over a 64M SD or MMC to work reliably. I have two Jornada's, two MMC batteries and the PCCard sled w MMC at my disposal. No combo worked for me over 64M, though I know others that had luck with bigger cards.

[Certified Optimist]

A good point to remember is that the MMC Battery is NOT and extended life battery, though it sticks out as far.

Fair point! I was almost tricked by a "cunning" salesman... he also tried to get me to buy the bulky PC card pack which was just too much...

Went somewhere else and did find the propoer extended battery, battery only but is very useful. Don't need any more memory.

[Stephen Beesley]

Thank you all for you comments and views.

I am mainly interested in the MMC battery as a way of using wifi without losing extra storage. The battery life issue doesn't worry me too much - if I do get an MMC battery I will probably buy two for good measure so that I can swap them around. I already have two standard batteries (and another boxed one on the way!) but I hate loosing my extra storage when I pop my wifi card in the CF slot.

The one thing I have not been able to find despite considerable searching is a picture of the Jornada with the MMC battery (or even the normal extended battery) attached. Lots of photos of the batteries themselves but none of the combo. I really want to know just how much bigger these batteries make the Jornada, because my plan would be to leave it in place all the time.

Goldtee

[RedRamage]

The MMC battery doesn't extend out very much. I've kept mine inplace continously since I got it. Don't have a picture handy, but I'll try and get one for you if I can.

The unit is just slightly longer than the normal battery, the top lip is slightly higher along the back. It adds less than 1/4 of an inch of thickness to the unit. You'll hardly notice it.

[RedRamage]

Whoops... sorry Goldtee, didn't notice your location until after I made the post. Rather than just shy of a 1/4" thickness, let me say approx. 5 mm extra thickness.

[Sven Johannsen]

To get a good idea, take the spacer out of the back of your cradle and stick it on the back of the Jornada. That is how thick it is. The MMC Battery goes from just under the CFIIe door right to the bottom and fits in between the two little nubs near the bottom on the back. The plain extended battery and the extended battery that comes with the PC Card sleeve are just about the same. Same thickness certainly.

I did exactly what Goldtee plans. I left the MMC battery on for memory expansion always. I left the CF slot open for peripherals, camera, WiFi, etc. I really didn't notice the extra thickness after a short while. Not having to have a case because of the integrated cover made it easier.

My HP2215 has really allowed me to replace my Jornada. It has both the CF and SD slots in a form factor smaller than the naked Jornada. If it only had a flip lid it would be perfect.

[Stephen Beesley]

Thanks for all the great replys.

I now have a much better idea of the size issue and .... well it does not really seem like it is an issue. Indeed I just did a little experiment using the spacer from the cradle (as suggested) and am now pretty sure that the Jornada and MMC battery will actually fit in my Krussel case which actually has quite a bit of room for expansion.

Whoops... sorry Goldtee, didn't notice your location until after I made the post. Rather than just shy of a 1/4" thickness, let me say approx. 5 mm extra thickness.

On the subject of measurements, back home in Oz we are definately metric (although I am JUST :D old enough to still be able to think in inches etc when I have to) but here in Ireland things are a lot more confusing. The metricisation processes is a bit hit and miss. For example distances on road signs are in Kilometres (mostly), but speed limits are still in Miles per hour!

Goldtee

[dlangton]

the Jornada and MMC battery will actually fit in my Krussel case which actually has quite a bit of room for expansion.


The Jornada with extended battery/MMC battery fits just fine into a Krussel case. However, the cutouts no longer line up perfectly.

[Certified Optimist]

Someone is selling all the HP accessories. Link in this forum to http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=162488#162488

(Don't like "double-posting" but I am guessing that some of you have the "Notify me when a reply is posted" switched on, so...)