CF or SD ???

[MonkeyRobb]

Hi folks...

Just wondering what the general consensus was on the preferred card type??

I've previously been buying SD cards, but having worn one out in just 6months and having read that SD cards have a limited number of times you can rewrite to them I'm now starting to get a little concerned ?

As I've never had a CF card I don't know if they are quicker to load music etc onto it, or if they have the same problem?

Finally - Is it best to use a card reader (as it's quicker) to move files, or just leave it in my PPC which is slower but presumably offers protection from damage to the contacts.....

Arrrgh !

Many thanks in advance.

MR

[bljarv]

MonkeyRobb, I have never heard of a limited number of writes to solid state media. I have had cards that lasted me a LOT longer than 6 months. The CF card I use has been with me about 3 years now (nobody tell it I'm looking for something bigger).

I think the answer to your question is going to be a personal preference issue. What slots do you have available, do you use them for any other peripherals, do you already have readers for one, what brand names are you considering...?

Your question is just a really tough one for anyone to give very useful feedback on. Does anybody have suggestions???

[JohnnyFlash]

Monkeyrob,

I'd say it depends on what you plan on doing with the card. My 805 has both CF and SD slots. I use one of each card, but for different tasks.

The SD card is more secure (IMO), so I use that one to store my personal information and documents. (Resume, credit card numbers, etc). But, at least on my device, CF is WAY faster at transferring data, so i store all my programs and installations on that card (games, music, movies, etc).

I have had really good luck doing it this way. My CF cards have lasted me a couple of years in the past, and I'm still using my very first SD card from about a year and a half ago.

Hope this helps your decision at least a little.

[Kati Compton]

Flash cards (SD and CF) do have a limited number of writes. But it's such a high number that no one can generally reach it, especially within 6 months. It's like 100,000 or more, and for CF at least, I believe the controller makes an effort to not write over the same location repeatedly.

[MonkeyRobb]

Hello again,

Many thanks for the replies everyone.....

I have an Ipaq 2210 so have both the slots freely available.

I'm now thinking that I must have done something wrong with my old SD card for it to break down on me - perhaps using the card reader everyday damaged it ? Who knows....

I mainly use my card for transfering video and music files, and change the content practically everyday (as I can only fit one episode of SATC and one music CD on my current 128MB SD card).

It would seem like a good idea to use both, and keep them in the PPC rather then using a card reader - at least that way I know I'm not doing anything wrong !

I'll need to go find a decent CF card now as it seems they are the better option for media.

Many thanks again - hugely appreciated everyone !

MR :mrgreen:

[Steven Cedrone]

I have a 2215 as well. Here is my setup: I always have a 256MB SD card in the device, and usually a 512MB CF or a wireless card in my CF slot (when the WIFI card is not being used the 512 is in there) - but the CF is mainly for peripherals and the SD is for storage.

Steve

[MonkeyRobb]

So... just trying to get this into my head.....

SD cards - more secure, good for storage ie. contacts, personal details, card details etc.

CF cards - more robust, handle changes better, quicker to load so better for media files. Though the slot is more commonly used for peripherals eg. camera attachment - so not so good to use as storage if you need to swap.

????

Sorry - I must seem really thick ! LOL.

Thanks again.
:?

[Steven Cedrone]

Well...

SD is good for storage because I don't have any SD peripherals! :wink: I honestly think both cards are good. I used to have a Jornada, so all of my peripherals are CF based. If you were to buy a SDIO WIFI card then odds are, the CF would be your main storage card and you would swap the SD in and out...

Have I "muddied the waters" enough? :wink:

Steve

[MonkeyRobb]

No - your help is much appreciated.

Cheers.

:)

[tanalasta]

as you may have gathered from the above:
CF's are cheaper and may be faster than an SD card. So as a rule of thumb, buy a CF card.

The reasons why you may choose an SD card are:
1. They're slightly lighter and smaller
2. You need your CF slot for a peripheral such as a wi-fi card; GPS etc...
3. You want to use the same format from a digital camera or other device (can also be said of CF cards)
4. You want both!

Was your previous SD card a sandisk? Solid state media rarely stuffs up unless you abuse them (e.g. drop, bend, run car over...) and may have stopped working properly not because of anything you did - but because it was faulty to begin with. The number of times you can rewrite to a SD card is in the millions and so is nothing to worry about as it'd be extremely unlikely that you'll get to that stage through everyday use.

[MonkeyRobb]

It was indeed a Sandisk SD card..... are they quite notorious??

Any suggestions for a good brand CF card ??

Cheers !

MR :confused totally: