LifeDrive vs. LifeFlash

[Davidnei]

Hi everyone,
I think that will be very nice & interesting to compare a LifeDrive device with Hitachi HDD with compact Flash (CF) card.
it may give a situation report on what best, and if worthwhile to open the device and switch from the hard disk to flash.
user that can test his device with some banchmark program (for example with speedy, link attached )
Speedy 6.4 - Freeware (http://www.aldweb.com/file/speedy.zip)
and post the results here in a screenshot or in text (in words).
it may consider may step from hdd to flash with all the risks!

Thanks in advance!

[brandon-wan]

it is absolutely worth it. do not waste any more time thinking about it, just do it! i've got a patriot 4gb from here (http://www.usedpdaparts.com/Lifedrive.html) and it works great. anyway, screen is posted.

[sgosnell]

There is no risk. The Patriot drive from UsedPDAParts is completely drop-in, a 5 minute job at most unless you're extraordinarily clumsy. You just take the case apart, pull out the HD, plug in the CF, and put it back together. Turn it on and it runs. You will want a backup of anything you have added to the HD, of course. Boot and reset times are in seconds, not minutes, and the data is fetched from the CF much more quickly than from the HD, because it doesn't need to spin up. It's absolutely the best investment you can make in a LD.

No way I'm going to put the HD back in mine, just to run a test. You can believe us or not, it's your LD.

[potter]

On this subject, I tried to start this thread (http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122132) a while ago. Did not get many takers, but a few.

[tomlouie]

Another benefit of the CF powered LD: drop survivability. I've dropped my LD about 5 time since the MD -> CF conversion, and my LD survived. If the LD still had the original MD, it probably wouldn't have survived the drops.

[hgradeca]

Another benefit of the CF powered LD: drop survivability. I've dropped my LD about 5 time since the MD -> CF conversion, and my LD survived. If the LD still had the original MD, it probably wouldn't have survived the drops.

Don't be so sure! ;)
I've dropped mine accidentally and the MD survived it all, even the drop on the concrete! ;)
But I agree, CF is definitively much safer - it seems that I just had a lot of luck! :)

[MD_Brite]

Another benefit of the CF powered LD: drop survivability. I've dropped my LD about 5 time since the MD -> CF conversion, and my LD survived. If the LD still had the original MD, it probably wouldn't have survived the drops.

Funny thing, I have actually had my LD(no LF conversion) dropped 3 times, mostly from me being clumsy, and it survived each time. Left some dings and scratches on the body, not the screen(thank god)...and had no interruptions to the MD. I'm guessing I must have one of the better units, where I have heard horror stories from other LD users that had to do the conversion.

P.S.

My 100th post...Yay!!! :D

[potter]

I've dropped my LD w/ MD three or four times with no issues. Static discharge however... Reading the spec on the Hitachi MD, it appears to be able to take a pretty big whack, if the MD is parked. If the MD is active however it cannot take much.

[tomlouie]

I've heard horror stories of MD devices failing because of head crashes, hence my apprehension about them.

[dosser]

Has anyone tried, to replace the drive with a CF greater 4GB ?

There are 8, 12 & 16GB CF-cards on the market.

[potter]

As of yet, I have heard of no one who has successfully put a greater than 4GB CF into a Lifedrive (and got anything more than 4GB).

[jkonrad]

I was one of the few takers on the benchmark request earlier by potter and the numbers are so much better with a CF card. Still, they do not do this hack justice.

Now, the unit just works. Everything is quick, and the battery life is unbelievable. How unbelievable? Well, I have not done any run down tests, but I'm currently on vacation. I have watched two full length movies on it (Love that TCPMP player), a few tunes, and a bit of TradeWinds and it's still at 75% battery. No joke! That is the real batter life. I haven't had this thing plugged in a week and I may not need to for this whole vacation. Just amazing. It's so good I still keep my eyes open for another LD for my wife or son.

If only I could get a better web browser ...

[Davidnei]

thanks guys!
i still think to buy LD and a CF card and make a LF,
but i worry that this deal will be waste of money.
i don't know what is will best for me: a low end Leptop? or High End Palm (LifeDrive).
if you all will say LD i will go on it...
help me to decide.

thanks in advance!

[jkonrad]

I've had both for years and they are just not the same beast. For some time I carried a PALM with a keyboard to meetings and such since they were light and quick to turn on.

However, I've switched back to my laptop again. I guess I expect to to more on the run now. Simply typing in word is not enough. I seem to always be editing a photo, or composing a web page, ripping a cd, or needing a full screen to browse the web properly.

My PALM still does all of the PIM stuff great. The LD or LF also handles some quick video watching or Audio listening easily too. But it is just not the same beast as my laptop.

Other thoughts out there?

[hgradeca]

I agree!
It is hard to tell what is better option.
It totally depends upon your needs.
If you travel a lot and don't need some things that Palm simply cannot do (such as big screen, using CDs, etc) or if you just want something small and not a laptop, then LifeDrive would definitively be an excellent choice.
But if you need that stuff that Palm cannot do, than laptop would be better.
Personally, I'd suggest you to take Palm, because low end laptops are usually a piece of ****. I apologize for the expression I used, but since my low end laptop died several days after the warranty ran out, I am still quite angry... BTW, it was HP, and their spare parts are more expensive than new laptop!!!
Another thing - low end laptops are very week, they cannot do most of the advanced tasks we are accustomed to, so if you buy one, you could end being disappointed. I hope that you will be satisfied with your decision! :)
I am currently using my Palms and don't feel that I need a laptop. :)

[sgosnell]

There are a couple of new devices that you might consider. The Asus EeePC is very nice. 6.5"x9", less than 2 lb, flash instead of a HD for better battery life, and only $400 for the 4GB model, 8GB just being introduced. I have one, and I've put my regular laptop in a bag and forgotten it. This thing is wonderful. I also have a Nokia N800 internet tablet, and it's replacing my Lifedrive. It's a little weak on PIMs, so if that's your primary use you may want to go with Palm. If you mostly want it for web browsing and documents, the N800 blows the Lifedrive away. It's available from buy.com for <$200. It has wifi and bluetooth, and the best mobile browser extant. It's really like using a laptop, no problems with downloading or anything, far better than an iPhone. It has no phone, just the wifi and bluetooth,but it will connect to a phone easily. I've just about given up on Palm because all their devices are way too far behind the power curve.

[rdiheath]

Ok so I ahve read (tediously) through the lifedrive to lifeflash thread pinned at the top of this forum and still am not totaly sure about this.
Can someone give me the readers digest/cliffs notes rundown on the basic idea??

Can I go out and buy a 4G CF card
connect it to my XP desktop and through the "left click on 'my computer' then 'manage' " format that card
Then I connect my LD to the PC and make an image of the MD (can I use Roxio and create a disc image??)
then simply burn that (or write it) to the CF card and its all set to be slipped into place

Open the case and pull out the MD and insert the CF and voila a CF lifedrive.

I only ask in brevity as I am going to be upgrading my SONY (much as I hate to have to) and will either get a TX or lifedrive

[hgradeca]

Well, I think that a TX and a 4 GB SD card would be a better option. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that LifeDrive is bad, but the MD to CF conversion can be complicated. But if you decide to convert it, it might be the easiest way to just buy a premade CF from PDAparts. The main reason why I have decided to get a TX is that there is Enterprise security update for WIFI available and there is not one for LifeDrive. Since my college has WPA encryption, that was pretty important to me. I still use my LifeDrive for things other than WIFI, because it is really a great device. :)
Just don't take ppc or nokia, they are evil! ;)
I prefer Palm, because, although it has some shortcomings, there are so many ways to improve your device, they are really simple to use and whenever you have a problem, there is always someone in the community who is going to listen to your problem and try to help you! :)

[rdiheath]

Thanks hgradeca I have really been looking more at the TX anyway as I liked the look and feel better. It reminds me and feels more like my Clie which is by far the BEST I have ever owned
I like the plug and play option on it as well as Im not always at home when I grab a file or something and the ability for it to function as a flash drive in and of itself is a plus.
Thanks for the heads up on the WIFI security issues with the LD as that is also a good thing to know

Looks like a TX

[hgradeca]

I'm glad that I've been able to help! :)
I am currently using both LifeDrive and TX - TX is my main PDA - I have everything in it and LifeDrive serves me mainly as data storage. I use it much more intensely when the battery on TX runs out and there is no charger nearby. I have noticed one other thing regarding wifi - LifeDrive has a little bit stronger antenna, but since it supports only older encryption methods, this advantage is rarely usable to me...
TX is definitively more stable, and although LifeDrive is great when you finally customize it, TX is faster. I guess that the CF mod would solve most of these problems, but if you want something that works out of the box, I advise you to get a TX. :)
I think that TX is currently the best value for money and there are many new tweaks that are being developed for it - look what Dmitry is currently doing. ;)
I hope that you will soon get your new Palm and that you are going to enjoy having it as much as I do! :)

[rdiheath]

Great info and thanks again. As for the WIFI - you said that the LD only supports older encryption but the TX supports newer? I assume that there is a patch/update then for the TX and not the LD?
WIFi will not be my main use but reliability at the airport, library, coffee shop etc will be nice
Thanks!

[hgradeca]

Yes, LifeDrive supports only WEP and some old WPA encryption standards. By default, TX also supports only these, but there is a Enterprise Security update which adds much more options regarding wifi, including many more security options. Yes, this patch unfortunately exists for the TX only... But if you are planing to use wifi at public hotspots, I think that the Lifedrive would be able to connect to these networks, but I don't know whether they are encrypted in your country. ;) Here in Croatia, public networks are unencrypted, but you have to pay a fee to be able to connect... I just hope that you will like your new Palm a lot! :)

PS This is my 100th post! :D

[rdiheath]

Woo Hoo congrats and thanks for all the GREAT info!

[walibi]

found this @ http://mikecane.wordpress.com/2006/12/17/lifedrive-vs-liifeflash-specs/

MP3 Play Back (LCD Off, 20% Data Access rate)
MD - 8.75 Hours (Real Test)
CF - 13.8 Hours
+57% of lifetime

Movie Play Back Only
MD - 2.5 Hours (Real Test)
CF - 4.6 Hours
+84% of lifetime

Wi-Fi Browsing
MD - 2.0 Hours (Real Test)
CF - 3.2 Hours
+60% of lifetime

Book reading (20% Data Access rate)
MD - 4.4 Hours
CF - 5.2 Hours
+18% of lifetime

[stingraysix]

Don't be so sure! ;)
I've dropped mine accidentally and the MD survived it all, even the drop on the concrete! ;)
But I agree, CF is definitively much safer - it seems that I just had a lot of luck! :)

I dropped my LD for the first time and it was dead on spot. It now clicks for a minute and shut itself down. :mad:

Can anyone tell me whether I can replace the dead microdrive with a CF card? I don't have anything in my microdrive, so I don't have to worry about copying things over. All the FAQs teach how to copy the files to the CF card, but didn't say whether I have to have the original drive to make this process work or not. Is there a certain hidden file or file structure that I will need in the CF card I ordered?

[sgosnell]

Yes, there are partitions and files that have to be there. A blank CF won't work.

[mikejn28]

need a little help please. I have a Lifedrive that the hard drive has went bad. I have a replaement 4GB drive but need the OS. Dose anyone have or know were I might find a image of the OS. I am just guessing as I have never worked on a Palm but my hope is with a image I can reimage the drive I have to replace the one that has went bad.

[hgradeca]

Well, there are quite detailed instructions on how to do that on this forum.
You can find them here:
http://www.1src.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111497

But it is much more simple to buy a preformatted CF card with Palm OS preinstalled from here:
http://www.usedpdaparts.com/Lifedrive.html

Many people said that it works excellent, so you might try that, it is definitely much more simple! :)

[mikejn28]

Thanks for the info but 90 to 95 is a little bit more than I have to spend right now. In the end if I can not get this to work I may have to go that route.

[hgradeca]

I know, that is a little bit pricey...
My advice is, if you have enough spare time, go and read the thread which I mentioned in my first post and then, if you don't understand something written there, just ask, there are many people here who are willing to help! :)
Just remember that making your own ROM could consume a lot of time, so if you don't have a lot of it, spending 95$ could be better...
Well, these are just my thoughts, sorry if I am impolite! ;)
I wish you a lot of luck with your LifeDrive! :)

[mikejn28]

I know, that is a little bit pricey...
My advice is, if you have enough spare time, go and read the thread which I mentioned in my first post and then, if you don't understand something written there, just ask, there are many people here who are willing to help! :)
Just remember that making your own ROM could consume a lot of time, so if you don't have a lot of it, spending 95$ could be better...
Well, these are just my thoughts, sorry if I am impolite! ;)
I wish you a lot of luck with your LifeDrive! :)


No No you’re not impolite and I did not in any way mean to imply you were. I did go and read the thread and thanks to your help and someone who was nice enough to send me the image I am flashing my drive right now. I appreciate your help. If all else fails I will buy the preflashed one but its just right now after the hoildays just can not.

[hgradeca]

No No you’re not impolite and I did not in any way mean to imply you were. I did go and read the thread and thanks to your help and someone who was nice enough to send me the image I am flashing my drive right now. I appreciate your help. If all else fails I will buy the preflashed one but its just right now after the hoildays just can not.


;) I know how it is with money...
:D I'm glad that you've found the necessary data how to do the conversion!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you and your LifeDrive! :)
I wish you lots of luck! :)

[sjj]

hi folks,

A word of advice if you please. My lifedrive died just before Christmas and I'm wondering if I can fix it by replacing with a cf. My fault was to underclock in order to save juice and now it won't start up again. When I charge it up again there is a quiet clicking sound and it heats up to a very hot temperature. No combination of resets will get it past the initial screen and leaving it for a week to drain the battery completely does not work either. My question is is the software coding which controls the clock on the drive or does it remain in the ram? Should I set up a lifeflash or look elsewhere?

Thanks in advance
Stuart

[hgradeca]

I am not an expert about the topic, but I doubt that underclocking your LifeDrive could have damaged it. It is known that overclocking has killed many devices, Palms included, but I doubt that underclocking could have caused any damage.
To me, it seems that your hard drive died and you need to replace it. After you replace it, your LifeDrive should again work excellent! :)
Please read several posts below, where I have replied to mikejn28 about the options to repair it! :)
I wish you lots of luck! :)

[knivlac]

Compact flash drives don't work in my Lifedrive. I created an image from the original Microdrive onto a new Patriot CF. This was done on a mac and worked fine. However, the Lifedrive can't boot from the CF. It boots fine from the MD. I even bought another CF [Dane-elec]. The image transfer again worked fine but LD simply can't boot from either CF no matter how long I leave the battery unplugged.

Next I bought a new MicroDrive. I re-created an image from the Dane-Elec compact flash card, NOT the original MD, then transfered it to the new MD. It boots up fine.

There's obviously an issue with my CFs, both of which are on the "approved" list. If anyone has any clues, let me know. Thanks.

[hgradeca]

Are you sure that your cards are genuine? I remember that there was an issue with Sandisk regarding that, so that might be the problem. I think that I saw it somewhere in the main thread about doing the conversion. :)
I wish you luck! :)

[Icecruncher]

Compact flash drives don't work in my Lifedrive. I created an image from the original Microdrive onto a new Patriot CF. This was done on a mac and worked fine. However, the Lifedrive can't boot from the CF. It boots fine from the MD. I even bought another CF [Dane-elec]. The image transfer again worked fine but LD simply can't boot from either CF no matter how long I leave the battery unplugged.

Next I bought a new MicroDrive. I re-created an image from the Dane-Elec compact flash card, NOT the original MD, then transfered it to the new MD. It boots up fine.

There's obviously an issue with my CFs, both of which are on the "approved" list. If anyone has any clues, let me know. Thanks.

I'm still using mine for everything I have at work. As mentioned before, it is a Lifeflash, I also posted on the original thread of benchmarks.

Re: Compact Flash and Mac.

If your copy actually worked on the MD and the same copy didn't work on the CF, my guess is the copy to the CF is getting corrupted by the OS in the write process.

I struggled with this for a couple months. The CF-IDE reader will not work any way I tried on the Mac. Most of the CF Readers I tried would not work. It requires an old USB 1 reader to work in most cases (from the mac)

If you follow the steps outlined in the thread and you get the copy (takes several hours) it will work. There is no easy solution unless you buy the preformatted version. Palm uses a proprietary format on their MD. It must be the same on the CF card for it to work. You can not format and copy. I must be a bit-for-bit copy of the original drive.

Take a couple hours and read the ENTIRE thread on conversion. Lots of information there. Other than that, I don't know what would help.

One other piece of note: Some people have had success with "approved" cards that others haven't. Most is due to different versions of the same cards.

[Abnormal]

Your lifedrive can have two different harddrives, Hitachi which most Lifedrives should have came from factory with and if you lifedrive has been repaired or refurbished it will have a Toshiba drive. The Hitachi model is prone to failure and is very likely to fail it is only a matter of time. I know this because of my conversations with people high up in palm after many screw-ups and a repair file longer than anyone else's. If you have a Hitachi harddrive I highly recommend the CF conversion before the Hitachi drive fails.