Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Twin Cities, MN
Posts: 1683

IBM just came out with their 1 MB mini-drive:
http://www.storage.ibm.com/press/hdd/micro/20000620.htm

Does anyone forsee a Springboard Minidrive? Finally...an MP3 player that can store a decent amount of music!

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 65

The only way I can see a microdrive coming to the Visor is if someone makes a springboard that excepts CF cards. I don't think IBM would want to "waste" money on a proprietary device. CF can be used in a myriad of devices.

OEP

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 42

Just to correct Homer, it 1GB drive, not 1MB. But I disagree Old El Paso. I would like to believe that within the next year or so we will start to see devices for Palm and Palm compatibles (including the Visor of course) that use the micro-drive. Not that IBM will make it, but any company can stick IBM's drive in their device. Image the next version of the Mini-Jam MP3 player with a IBM mini-drive in it.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 65

That is true. I guess someone could license the drive from IBM.

And that MiniJam would be pretty tight...and yours for only $800

OEP

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 231

A gig of music? How many songs does that break down to assuming max compression? (Somebody do the math.) And let's not forget battery power: your Visor probably would not last very long with that power hog in it.

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 41

1 Gig is about 225 songs/tracks at 128kbps/44Hz quality. Figure each song is about 4:00 long - you get about 15 hours of music. Your batteries will be dead long before that.
Probably double that for 64/22 quality, but then it starts to sound like radio.

Carl

------------------
Carl Lee
Hi! My name is Carl and I'm a Visorholic.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 65

Actually, you can knock it down to 64/44.1 mono and double your space. The only thing you lose quality wise is the stereophonic sound (boohoo).


OEP

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 406

Blech! Anything below 128kbps is just horrid for music. It's fine if your listening to something like 'A Documentary on a day in the life of a dung beetle', but for anything else, it really sounds pretty darned bad.

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 65

Like I said though. At 64/44.1 it still has the same quality, it's just mono instead of stereo. Trust me...it sounds just fine.

OEP