Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Misplaced Canuck in Charleston SC
Posts: 257

Part of the pomp and hoopla over Palm's latest PDAs, (m50x series) is this Secure Digital expansion slot (http://www.palm.com/products/access...expansioncards/) that looks like a really teeny card. I'm not sure what kind of SD cards are available yet (reportedly Palm has released a bunch). Handspring already has the Springboard, and now the Springboard compatible edge connector. Does anyone think there will be a SD Springboard reader? Is there a need for one?

__________________
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GS d-(+) s: a C++ UX++++V++S++ P+>+++ L>+++ E+>++ W++ N++(+++) o? K? w !O !M V-- PS PE Y+ PGP++ t++ 5++ X++ R+ tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+++>++++ h--- r+++ y?
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: NJ,US
Posts: 94

With the size of the SD, wont all modules, other
than memory, make the palm larger? A Mp3 player
for the 50x would have to sit on top, instead of
being flush like the soundgood.

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Misplaced Canuck in Charleston SC
Posts: 257

SD cards

OK, so this new SD slot of Palm's is supposed to be able to take SD cards and MultiMediaCards (whatever those are). One of the cards currently available is a 16MB card, but no details on how it operates (like Flash? disk drive style like CF/SM cards?). There's even a backup card coming.

These things look like they're the size of a thumbnail. Personally, I have a hard enough time keeping track of big things, let alone teeny expansion cards like this. As far as the geek factor goes, it seems pretty nifty though. It doesn't seem like something that would be used for connecting peripherals though.

__________________
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GS d-(+) s: a C++ UX++++V++S++ P+>+++ L>+++ E+>++ W++ N++(+++) o? K? w !O !M V-- PS PE Y+ PGP++ t++ 5++ X++ R+ tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+++>++++ h--- r+++ y?
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

IF you look at the wording on the product pages, SD devices won't be coming for another 2 years.. (about)

BUT mmc card are out.

MMC will work just like compactflash, or Smartmedia. It will NOT WORK like a 8 mb flash module. Visor's already have some devices that have MMC card slots, it's wheater it will ever be enabled..

__________________
-miradu

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: London
Posts: 8

No, I think Palm made sure that it had all their announced SD cards ready before unveiling the m505 - it even states in the press release that the 16mb card will sell at $49.95 and apps can be run off it, and that it will ship the same time as the m505, making Palm the first to mass market a true SD device...

justin

__________________
justin

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 714

I wish someone would make that games card available as a Springboard module, I'd buy it for Sim City & Zap 2000! alone. Not only are those games fairly large but if you were to buy them seperately it would run over $50.

__________________
Matt Nichols
[email protected]

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

I have to laugh at terms like "secure digital", Think about who it's providing "security" for, not you and me (the end users) but big business, why not call the kettle black and call it a "restricted digital" card, because in the end, we are "restricted" in what uses you can do with it.. I think the name "secure" is to make people think it's providing them with some needed feature or benefit to them and it reality it isn't, well not to the end user anyway.

My feeling is, if they are going to ram this format down our collective throats, the least the people who are getting the "security" of these cards can do is subsidize the cost for the end user.. I'd even like to see it free. As you can probably guess, I avoid buying these silly "pro big business" and to heck with the "end user" products (aka Circuit City's Divix - R.I.P.).

__________________
"One of the most important things you learn from the internet is that there is no �them� out there. It�s just an awful lot of �us�." -- Douglas Adams

Registered: May 2000
Location: St. Paul, MN
Posts: 1429

quote:

---

Originally posted by Potamus
- it even states in the press release that the 16mb card will sell at $49.95 and apps can be run off it, and that it will ship the same time as the m505, making Palm the first to mass market a true SD device...

justin

---

__________________
-miradu

Registered: Dec 2000
Location: Silicon Valley, California
Posts: 173

Yes, Virginia...you CAN run apps directly from SD

from www.palminfocenter.com:

YOU CAN RUN APPS DIRECTLY OFF THE SD CARD
Posted by: Telengard @ 3/19/2001 7:40:13 PM

It seems this question keeps comming up.... You can run applications directly off the SD card. It is posted on Palm's site. Go to Palm's Expansion card FAQ.

www.palm.com/support/sdcards/faq/sd_faq.html

that's a big selling point...if it's true...

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

Re: Yes, Virginia...you CAN run apps directly from SD

quote:

---

Originally posted by purplemd
from www.palminfocenter.com:

YOU CAN RUN APPS DIRECTLY OFF THE SD CARD
Posted by: Telengard @ 3/19/2001 7:40:13 PM

It seems this question keeps comming up.... You can run applications directly off the SD card. It is posted on Palm's site. Go to Palm's Expansion card FAQ.

www.palm.com/support/sdcards/faq/sd_faq.html

that's a big selling point...if it's true...

---

__________________
"One of the most important things you learn from the internet is that there is no �them� out there. It�s just an awful lot of �us�." -- Douglas Adams

Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Misplaced Canuck in Charleston SC
Posts: 257

I also noticed a thread over at PDABuzz.com (http://www2.pdabuzz.com/Forums/show...?threadid=14555
) where according to Palm, apps are run directly off the card without having to copy to RAM first. This will make it even more interesting. Now, is this capability a PalmOS 4.0 feature I wonder? would the same functionality exist through a springboard module adaptor?

__________________
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GS d-(+) s: a C++ UX++++V++S++ P+>+++ L>+++ E+>++ W++ N++(+++) o? K? w !O !M V-- PS PE Y+ PGP++ t++ 5++ X++ R+ tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+++>++++ h--- r+++ y?
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Glendora, CA
Posts: 96

Let's clarify. As far as backward compatability. MMC and SD cards will fit in a SD slot. HOWEVER, SD cards will not fit in a MMC slot. SD cards are in fact something like 1.2mm thicker (who the f*** did that is beyond me).

Also, Secure Digital (SD) is security for record companies. To keep us from stealing copyrighted stuff (thanks Napster for your balls). But, the SD card will have a write protect feature. They are talking about a little flip handle that allows you to lock the media, making it impossible to accidently erase the disk. But again, I'm sure that little handle (couldn't be much bigger than a fly's pecker) has nothing to do with the secure feature found in the SD namesake.

__________________
<CENTER>
<strong>
<span style="color: blue;">Where's the "Make Coffee" button again?</span>
</strong>

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

quote:

---

Originally posted by yosemitesamiam
Let's clarify. As far as backward compatability. MMC and SD cards will fit in a SD slot. HOWEVER, SD cards will not fit in a MMC slot. SD cards are in fact something like 1.2mm thicker (who the f*** did that is beyond me).

Also, Secure Digital (SD) is security for record companies. To keep us from stealing copyrighted stuff (thanks Napster for your balls). But, the SD card will have a write protect feature. They are talking about a little flip handle that allows you to lock the media, making it impossible to accidently erase the disk. But again, I'm sure that little handle (couldn't be much bigger than a fly's pecker) has nothing to do with the secure feature found in the SD namesake.

---

__________________
"One of the most important things you learn from the internet is that there is no �them� out there. It�s just an awful lot of �us�." -- Douglas Adams

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Glendora, CA
Posts: 96

quote:

---

Originally posted by EricG


The secure digital feature can be used by more than just record companies - anything that can be put into a digital format, music, video, ebooks, images, applications, and it doesn't have to do with a write protect tab (aka lock) on the media.. You are closer with the encryption/copy analogy..

---

__________________
<CENTER>
<strong>
<span style="color: blue;">Where's the "Make Coffee" button again?</span>
</strong>

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Alive and well on VisorCentral.com
Posts: 861

quote:

---

Originally posted by yosemitesamiam


I'm sorry if I implied ONLY with the record companies. I know they are good for lots of other things...good for anything for that matter. And yes, I did read somewhere they will have a physical lock on the device. Let's see if I can produce a link...it could also be, in my haste, that I read something too fast, and am making the whole thing up! Maybe it is a lock that is electronic, kinda like locking a ZIP disk...at any rate, when I find it, I'll send it!

---

__________________
"One of the most important things you learn from the internet is that there is no �them� out there. It�s just an awful lot of �us�." -- Douglas Adams