Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 103

I am contemplating geting a minijam. Ya I know poor idea to begin with. But I am curious. Does the current incarnation of the minijams flashrom allow people to store and run data in the mmc's ? I searched through innogears elaboratly uninformative web sight to no avail and cannot say anything that says yea or nea ? I know that the minijam has some flash in it that can be used. But other than that I am curious as to the ability to read and write to mmc's .

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

Not yet... They are supposed to have an update to allow for storage of apps on the mmc's soon. I'd assume that it would work similar to current memory expansion modules, where you can run certain apps from it, but it cannot write to pdb files on the module. If the update didn't have these capabilities, it would be kinda useless for storing huge files on if you had to copy it to the visors internal memory in order to use it.

Timeframe... ???

I still love my MJ though. The non-music file storage would simply be a bonus for me.

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

capacity?

I tried to send an email to minijam to ask if the 128mb size was a restriction of the MMC cards available today OR if it was rstricted internally? so that when sandisk release MMC cards in 128mb will the Minijam be able to support 256mb or capacity.

After 7 (count em seven) email backwards and forwards where the dodged the question or just gave mis-information i gave up. Anyone know how i can find out?

I'm happy to pay the money eing asked for the minijam BUT only if it can store more than 128mb of capacity.

Dean

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Pembroke,MA
Posts: 307

As I understand it, only OEM can purchase 64mb mmc's right now. So, AFAIK, I'm kinda refusing to buy 32mb ones for ~$90 a pop. A 64mb one will cost in the neighborhood of $150 (this is strictly a guess based on differences in price between sm and cf cards). I'm guessing (when somebody even creates one - if ever) that a 128mb mmc would run you close to $300.

So, if you wanted 2 128mb mmc's, a MiniJam, your PDA being able to store 264mb worth of data would cost you over a grand US$! (if you didn't get the Prism, and about $1250 if you do have the Prism).

IMVHO, that's insane. There's gotta be a better option than that for you. Maybe dkesslers homemade cf module could take care of you?? I know people are selling 'em here. CF cards are already produced in the sizes you want.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

Re: capacity?

quote:

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Originally posted by the_zerox
I tried to send an email to minijam to ask if the 128mb size was a restriction of the MMC cards available today OR if it was rstricted internally? so that when sandisk release MMC cards in 128mb will the Minijam be able to support 256mb or capacity.

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According to InnoGear, there is no maximum MMC for the MiniJam. So if Sandisk comes out with 1 GB MMCs you can use them in your MiniJam.

I've updated our reviews and articles on the MiniJam to reflect this.

__________________
James Hromadka
Old Friend

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

reply

Larry, I can buy 64mb MMC's in Australia now for about $130 US (no body is really discounting them though).

Actually on that topic Americans should be buying more from Australia with our dollar the way it is it's like a 33% discount for you guys.




JHromadka, are you sure about this? I was trying to confirm this with tech support and after evading the question for about 7 emails they eventually said that there was some type of internal capacity issue at 128mbs and it would need a hardware change to go above the current 128mb limit.

If you have something to the contrary I would love to have a copy.

Z

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Texan in Calgary for a while
Posts: 1361

Several of InnoGear's reps, including a software engineer, told me that during Comdex. I'll pester them about getting a 128MB MMC as soon as they start coming out.

__________________
James Hromadka
Old Friend

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 17

engineer?

Was the engineer from Innogear or from Hango Electronics?

Do you have any information about release dates from 128mb MMC?

Z

Registered: Jul 2000
Location: New York
Posts: 14

128MB MMC may not work

If I am right, the controller for MMC cards is in the host device, namely the Minijam. IF this is the case, then there is a chance that 128MB MMC cards may NOT work in current Minijams in the same way earlier Smartmedia flashcard devices cannot use 32 or 64MB Smartmedia.

Sandisk CompactFlash has its controller built-in and is usually always backward compatible with earlier devices.

Until 128MB MMC cards are actually released and tested, I would hold off on relying on too many promises about compatiblity, no matter who the source is these promises are coming from.

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Rocky