Possible uselessness for CF Memory?

[lightninja]

I was just thinking this morning about how having CF memory would benefit me. The only reason I really wanted more memory (than a 128meg memory stick) was for videos and music. 128 megs is plenty for images, applications, and general files.

Now the question is, with a CF card in the slot and assuming we have the drivers and everything works all fine and dandy... Will the sony mp3 player be able to play the files from the cf memory slot? Will the video player/recorder and audio recorder play and record to the Compact flash card?

If not, then do you think power run will be able to move apps to the CF card?

Since Sony didn't seem to build the CF slot with CF memory in mind, I just wonder how useful CF memory will actually be when we have drivers for it.

[rldunn]

That's a good point. I've been wondering about this at well. Would you be able to have a /Palm/ directory on both the MS and CF? And if not, how would apps find their files on the MS?

[huggy]

Great question... I would have faith. Is there's someone really working on these drivers, this things MUST work. It would be a waste of effort and money if it didn't...

A clue: have you tried Repligo? Repligo has a specific version for the NX. In it, when you sync your documents, it asks you wether you want to put the docs in the clié internal memory, or in memory stick or in THE COMPATC FLASH CARD?! of course it doesn't work, but it seems they have great hopes... and well, this app must have a way to identify each card, so I'd say it has to work when the driver exists...

[Unregistered]

Maybe you'll have to decide whether you want to use MS or CF... (installing the driver makes the decision)

[Narniahopper]

I think it's supposed to replace the MS slot with the CF slot (from the OS's perspective). I'm pretty sure that's what I read. Seems like it could be tricky, but programmers are intelligent creaures. They'll be able to figure it out.

[sstrasser86]

NERDS always figure out a way





not trying to be mean they are very useful people :D

[ccelada]

A palm device can use multiple cards at one time... so, theorically, if we get it to work, we'll be able to, at least, keep some files there. Now, we only have to hope that the audio player and the other CLIE applications have been designed to use multiple cards as well...

[Alistar]

Yea I think you could only have one in at a time from the OS's perspective. Choose either CF memory and say bluetooth or what not or MS memory and wifi card. I would mostly use it for videos and music so only having one at a time is not a big concern from me. The CF card for music then disable it and use the MS for apps or something like that.

[ccelada]

I belive that the fact that some (PC) programs think the CF slot can use CF memory means that it's a standard CF slot... and that's why i think it's possible to use CF memory there...

It's just a tought...

[sstrasser86]

its a a very good postivite thought i just hope so much that this works

[ayasin]

One of the big advantages of CF of MS is the _much_ cheaper memory esp when > 256mb. Also the fact that there are LOTS of other peripherals for CF.

[Token User]

Originally posted by sstrasser86
NERDS always figure out a wayMost of us prefer the term GEEK to NERD, and technically the term you are reaching for is "software engineer". Despite eccentricities, most of us do not fall into the stereotypical Poindexter image.

Now onto the GEEK stuff.

Buried within the PalmOS API is support for VFS. The VFS (Virtual File System) is the file structure that loads onto the memory stick and allows us to access the file system on both PC and Clie. For the most part it is FAT compatible (hmmm - FAT32 on the new pro sticks??). As part of the VFS API is the ability to enumerate (basically count) the VFS slots in a device and allocate a "slot id" (think of this as a drive letter) to the VFS.

Most apps on the market do not enumerate, and instead only consider the default primary slot, without looking for other devices.

Everything exists to make this happen EXCEPT the availability of a driver to mount the CF card as a VFS device. If you put a CF card into a NX series Clie, the device is recognised as being "unrecognised" - that is, the Clie knows it is there, just doesn't know what to do with it.

Universal (plug and pray) CF drivers do exist for other devices, and in the Linux world are based on bastardised PCMCIA drivers, so the code base is out there ... we just need the details for accessing the CF slot.

[n2ifp]

Horrids, some are starting to think like Sony... :p:p:p

For me, the CF mem will be useless as my WiFi card is in the way!

[akfreas]

um, I am a bit confused. What is an API?

[idoc58]

Regardless of the arguments 2 slots are better than one try using a bluetooth MS card with the limited 11mg ram....nough said

[nike33]

While certainly being no expert, I see no problem in Palm OS seeing multiple storage devices.

From the gitgo, it can see the internal memory as well as the MS. Furthermore it sees the LAN card. ( on the lowly Sony bashed US version )

And our fellow Geeks in Japan are lucky enough to be able to use Modems, GPS and even cell phone CF cards.

I personally think it is no big deal to make the CF slot function as needed...... But then again as I said in the beginning "While certainly being no expert" ….. However, I did live through the Personal Computer Era with JUST two floppy disks, why on Earth would one have wanted anything more!!!!!

[rojomono]

And our fellow Geeks in Japan are lucky enough to be able to use Modems, GPS and even cell phone CF cards.

we geeks in the us can use them too you just need the translated cfutility

[sstrasser86]

i didn't mean to hurt anyones feeling would u like me to say geek i was just trying to say how useful you guys (the ones who write the drivers and all that great stuff)

[Token User]

Originally posted by sstrasser86
i didn't mean to hurt anyones feeling would u like me to say geek i was just trying to say how useful you guys (the ones who write the drivers and all that great stuff) For my part, no offense taken. It was just a good place to start a reply.

[zzv347]

My concern with the CF driver is not so much getting the API to recognise it, as stated above this is supported by the Palm OS.

However the applications provided by sony, mp3 player, photo & video kits appear to look to a fairly fixed location. The memory stick.

The new CF driver would need to intercept these calls and re-direct them to the CF card if desired.

Or maybe sony would write updates for these apps to "See" the CF card. LOL......

[timw_de]

Of course, the more the CF can do, the better. But even just using it as a storage device is better than having a redundant slot (for those without WiFi).

[CliePet]

> However the applications provided by sony, mp3 player, photo & video kits appear to look to a fairly fixed location. The memory stick.

I don't know how those specific programs are written, but some programs enumerate the first VFS volume (and call it "Memory Stick"). So far that is the only case that matters.

If there is both memory stick storage and CF storage (assuming hypothetical driver) then the CF storage will typically be the second VFS volume.

Fortunately, if you take out the memory stick, then any volume mounted by the CF card will become the first volume - so in theory more old apps would work with the CF card, assuming the MS slot is empty (or holds a non-storage volume like the Bluetooth stick or was inserted after the CF card).

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> The new CF driver would need to intercept these calls and re-direct them to the CF card if desired.

If they don't provide such an option, you may be able to trick the software by removing the volume you don't want used (or inserting it last)

Programs can tell the difference between MS and CF volumes (if they want to). I don't know if the Sony apps would put in that logic to lock out a future CF volume (but I wouldn't put it past them ;-)

> Or maybe sony would write updates for these apps to "See" the CF card.

That would be ideal. There are some freeware apps that appear to enumerate the VFS volumes (ie. you can pick from a dropdown list), but until they are tested it is hard to say.

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> Of course, the more the CF can do, the better....

[and many other threads wanting a CF driver that automagically makes all CF cards on the planet work in a NX/NZ]

Everyone should consider themselves lucky if they get a reliable CF storage driver.

[Tek Phreak]

The company that is developing the drivers did say in their release about it that they are developing it to be able to work the same as a MS. How you interpret that is your call. . . doesn't necessarily mean that they'll work at the same time, but it means that it should play mp3's and movies.

Enjoi.
-Tek