4GB Microdrive in the works...

[SSonnentag]

Executives from a Hitachi and IBM hard drive joint venture, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, today announced a new business strategy and products aimed at increasing the company's market share and reaching profitability.

Hitachi will be looking for growth opportunities for hard drives and addressing them with products such as its Microdrive. To that end, the company announced that it will have a 4GB Microdrive available this fall. Pricing has not yet been determined.

Read the full story (http://rss.com.com/2100-1040-979196.html?tag=lh).

dpreview.com has an article (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0301/03010602fourgbmicrodrive.asp) on it also.

[David Smith]

Hi S.S.

From having been in the computer field for 18 years in between my photographic businesses, then and now, I would have to say that even a 1Gig Micro drive is a risque venture.

I've already read about the micro's going bad due to either being droped or their tiny mechanism going bad and should that happen when full of images a guy or lady could find themselves in a heap of trouble!!

The technology, as with the digital cameras, is fantastic but IMHO
it's not worth the risk compared to 1 Gig or less CF. I'm an advocate of smaller size cards myself even though they have proven a lot less subject to failure. :righton:

[AzRich]

just an FYI here,

I bought one off of eBay, which was about $250. It would not work in my S2. The really WEIRD thing about it, I could format the drive while the camera was connected to my G5 via firewire. It worked as a 4gig drive fine.

However, even though I formatted it as a pc drive it still didn't work in the camera. I sold it and bought another 1gig CF card. I'm using my iPod with a card reader to store images, so basically I just swap cards in and out if I need to. Being that I'm just shooting for fun, this rarely happens. Until I go to NYC in May, :-).

Others may have better luck, but I think we need some kind of firmware update in the camera.

[Mike Flood]

Why would anyone trust their data to a mechanical device like the Microdrive.
Back in the days when there were no solid-state flash memory devices like we have today the 1 gig M/D's were a good deal operationally.
But only a few people (like me) found out the hard way that the M/D "One year warranty" began on the date of manufacture, not on the date of delivery to the customer.
As the old saying sort of goes, "Screw me once shame on you (IBM/Hitachi) screw me twice shame on me."

No more Microdrives for me. I have one that still works. I never use it.

[HairyHaggis]

Hi, glad Swampy managed to contact me again to remind me where the site was, and glad I am back with you folks again. Feel like I am at home.

Anyway, back to the post :righton:

For those interested in a cheaper Microdrive ... try the following option if you are brave enough ... 4Gb Microdrive at mega cheap price :righton:

Nice And Cheap Microdrive (http://www.pcconsultant.com/microdrive.htm)

As I said, glad to be back and hope this hasn't been posted already or its a bad return for the dumb bloke from UK :stupid:

[vmic92]

You can found it by Adorama : http://www.adorama.com/IMTMD4GA.html
The price is $429.95
But, anybody knows if this 4Gb Microdrive works in the S2Pro ?