USB Driver for Pocket PC 2003

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.anypakdevices.com/PPC/' target='_blank'>http://www.anypakdevices.com/PPC/</a><br /><br /></div>A USB hard-drive manufacturer, Anypak, has collaborated with the developer known as DeJe to release a packaged driver to enable mass storage devices and mice under Pocket PC 2003 PDAs that have native USB support (like the Toshibas). You can get it with the purchase of a new USB hard drive or standalone; the latter costs $20. Not bad!

[alien rider]

Thanks for that !

I did a search on the forum but couldn't find anything. Is there any way to enable the hp 2210s to use usb hard drives ? Can it be done via custom cables\converters\adapters and this new driver ? Or is this just not ever going to happen on these wee machines ?

Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated.

Kind regards,

B :D

[Anthony Caruana]

I remember an article from ages ago about someone who'd riggel a SCSI hard disk (9 GB) to a PPC via a Pcmcia SCSI adapter

Perhaps a Google might reveal where this is

I'd do it but I'm using my ppc to post this and it's a pain to run multiple PIE windows.

[alien rider]

Thanks for the reply, much appreciated!

I think I came across a similar article about rigging IDE drives via PCMCIA and on the ipaqs which support the expansion sleeves this is not a problem (at least using a PCMCIA card, I think also via PCMCIA USB Card link).

The problem as I see it is you cannot use these expansion sleeves with the 2210 and hence become a bit stuck if you wish to have cheap large storage solutions. I have for example an adapter which converts a PCMCIA hardisk to fit into a Compact Flash Socket, useful if you just want to transfer things between cards. However the PCMCIA powers down (or into power saving mode, not sure which) after the intial spin up and cannot be read after 15-30 secs.

I just wonder whether that connection at the bottom of the 2210 could have an adapter\converter\plug which would allow USB devices (hard disks particularly) to use that connection in much the same way that the 2210 connects to the PC. Maybe dreaming but no harm asking !!!!

Thanks again,

B

[Jason Dunn]

I was using a 6 GB external hard drive with my iPAQ and a PCMCIA sleeve back in 2000...this is a natural evolution from that. :-)

[Scott R]

The interesting bit for me is the support of mice. I like the idea of using a PPC with a foldable keyboard and small portable mouse. Of course, official support for landscape mode would help.

Scott

[dean_shan]

Does anyone know if the 2002 driver Deje was working on is finished? Also could the 2003 driver work for 2002?

[bibap]

There is a Brighthand discussion of this driver here:

http://discussion.brighthand.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=88311

with some interesting information.

[Gen-M]

Does anyone know if the 2002 driver Deje was working on is finished? Also could the 2003 driver work for 2002?

Is ANY software ever finished? :roll:

The 2002 driver will not work on 2003. I assume that the reverse is true also. :(

There is a CF card USB Host out there (I can't remember the URL). I have not heard that anyone has tried it with a 22xx and DeJe's driver.

It is certified on the Toshiba 755

[johncruise]

Does anyone know if the 2002 driver Deje was working on is finished? Also could the 2003 driver work for 2002?

even though it still says it's in Alpha stage, i'd say it's long been finished. Casio and Toshiba users have long been using this hardware since it was first announced 11/2002 (http://www.johncruise.com/pocketpc/pocketpc-updates-archieve.php?updatefile=2002_11_01_blog.html#84882665). The usb mouse pointer from the same developer has been first announced 09/2002 (http://www.johncruise.com/pocketpc/pocketpc-updates-archieve.php?updatefile=2002_09_01_blog.html#81894884). I hope that PPC OEMs realize the potential of this feature on their future PPC models. Mitac seems to be following Casio's footsteps regarding usb hosting support.

[PoweriPaq]

I remember an article from ages ago about someone who'd riggel a SCSI hard disk (9 GB) to a PPC via a Pcmcia SCSI adapter

Perhaps a Google might reveal where this is

I'd do it but I'm using my ppc to post this and it's a pain to run multiple PIE windows.


This one? http://www.phm.lu/PocketPC/Articles/SCSI/

And other ones, not related to SCSI, but related to PCMCIA hard disk drive for PPC
http://www.tjotala.com/hardware/storagebrick/

Or you can buy yourself a 60g hard drive with PCMCIA card adapter.
http://www.provantage.com/buy-22079513-origin-storage-slimline-hard-disk-drive-pcmcia-pc-card-interface-shopping.htm

[bibap]

Here is the link for the CF USB card:

http://www.ratocsystems.com/english/products/subpages/cfu1u.htm

[David C]

Now that they have 30gig hard drive, I wounder if faster pocket pc are able to support mpeg2 dvd decoding of movies ripped in to the hard drive?

[ipaqgeek]

I hope that PPC OEMs realize the potential of this feature on their future PPC models

Deje's tools actually make it possible, when combined with a PCMCIA card producing Video out, to use the PDA as a portable dekstop computer (although it uses WinCE instead of WinXP). Essentially your desktop Keyboard, Monitor, and Mouse become the docking station that makes this possible. No more Syncing required, because you do everything on the PDA CPU and memory, even when you're sitting at your desk and using your desktop setup.

Of course, you don't have any of the muscle the a true desktop machine has, and you are very limited - but in a few years PDA's should be as powerful as todays desktops - and running a better OS to boot (no pun intended). Still, power users (most of the people on these message boards) won't go for this setup, but I think most users easily could - and it would make thier life easier, not to mention that thier wallet would be fatter becuase of the device convergence.

I have to wonder if Manufacturers are afraid of that - device convergence. That means they will have fewer devices to sell. It then is no surprise that this sort of implementation of the PDA technology (where the PDA becomes the desktop) has not been marketed or even developed by the big players. It seems though, that someone like Sony that doesn't make much off their VAIO line, would be smart to make this implementation into a serious reality.

[ricksfiona]

I thought I posted it here once, but I thought a docking station for PPC/IPAQs that would allow connectivity to external monitors, keyboards, hard drives, networks, would be the way to go. USB connectivity is certainly a step in the right direction.