MS-SD Card Adapter?

[.PoNeH]

Well, I recently stumbled upon this link...

http://gallery.bcentral.com/GID2025592P3137251-Digital-Accessories/Card-Readers-Adapters/Minolta-SD-CF1-CompactFlash-Adapter.aspx

...and I was wondering if there's anything like that to convert the MemoryStick Duo to SD? I mean, making the MS Duo fit in an SD card is not the problem here. I have a Dell 700m laptop that has a defaul SD card slot on it, and I would finally make use of it if the adapter was available.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

[sonypenguin]

Good find...
I don't see why not since there are many USB multiple memory readers out in the market.
I hope these many memories narrow down to 2-3 types eventually. (If everybody comes up with their own memory format, it's going to be a crazy world.)

[Super Fly]

I don't mean to be difficult, but at $90 for the adapter, wouldn't it be less expensive to buy a 512 SD card (I'm assuming 512 as that's what your tag says you have) as they're half that price on ebay. And with that thought, unless the 'files' on the memory card are the same (ie. jpg's or mp3's or something like that), you're only allocating a portion of your card for your clie and a portion for your notebook, so you're looking at more like a 256 SD card.....

In my experience anyway, I don't tend to swap out my memory cards from device to device as each device holds the card completely internally, (and as each device has different memory needs). But isn't it easier to simply have a card in each device? I mean, if I've got my camera and I want to take a picture, how aggravating would it be to have to pull the card from my clie and then put it into my cam. And then I'd need to pull it out again so that it can go to an MP3 player.... :D OK, I apologize for taking the mick.

I can understand the desire for one format, so don't get me wrong, i'm not dissing you or your thoughts, I too would like to have one format or a bunch of adapters to allow that, but I'd still end up likely having a memory card 'permanently' inserted in each individual device, and until the adapter costs significantly less than the memory cards themselves.... :(

[.PoNeH]

Well, the reason I would be interested is so that I could make use of the SD slot in my laptop. But I guess Jamerican is right, SONY is too greedy to allow their product to be used by other devices.

[JAmerican]

Won't happen, MS would never license something allowing you to buy its competitors products and place it in their devices.

Except this...

http://www.pqi.com.tw/ENG/ourproduct/ss3-sd.jpg
MMC/SD/MS Pro reader

http://www.pqi.com.tw/ENG/product-CR.htm

JAmerican

[.PoNeH]

That would keep my laptop from fitting into my bag. I hate carrying extra luggage around. It's not that big of a deal. I'd get a PC Card with memory stick slot if I cared that much.

Thanks anyways guys.

[sonypenguin]

Sony's ego is making the company cripple.
The market and many users are well aware of compatibility issue and that's the way to go. However Sony's ego and greedy mind would like to have their way only. Guess what..... Sony is thinking of changing their CEO. LOL

Need history of Sony's failure? Here they are: BETA, ATRAC, MS, etc.
Somehow even it's not a rocket science but after many decades that Sony still don't get it.

[.PoNeH]

I agree. SONY just doesn't understand how much more money tey would make it they became more integrated with mass consumer products. It's common sense. How successful would the United States be following the concept of isolationism? Instead, the US is all over the place, sucking in everyon'es resources, thus leading to our overall world power.

[loki2486]

Hey would this work for the VZ cf slot? I have a 1gig SD card for my camera, it would be great if I could take the SD card and directly view pictures on the VZ

[.PoNeH]

Why not? It should

[Super Fly]

If you're going to get one, check the Minolta forum at dpreview as you might find one that's not being used anymore for a bit of a discount from the $90 new price. It should work as it's just an adapter, no conversions being done and they seem to work fine in the cameras.

[CliePet]

> if there's anything like that to convert the MemoryStick Duo to SD?

Technical discussion:
There are several devices that will convert smaller format cards, like SD, or MS *to* Compact Flash. There are many technical and electronics component reasons for that (the compact flash interface can be directly plugged into many chips).
The SD or MS device appears like a Compact Flash storage device (ie. the adapter has to do the work normally done inside a PDA with the SD or MS interface). The Compact Flash interface is like the "gold standard"
They should work in CLIE devices with CF storage drivers (VZ90/NX73/80 built in, NX60/70&NZ90 with extra drivers)

USB adapters that support multiple cards are also quite common. They end up doing similar things adapting to regular storage volumes (accessed through USB)
There are single chips that do all the work.

Now the hard part: Adapting from one of the lesser standards (SD, SD/MMC, MS, SmartMedia) to another lesser standard.

Depending on the specifics (whether you need all the features, the capacity of the cards,...) converting between the standards *may* be technically possible. However there is no mass market for it (therefore there are no chips designed to do all the hard work). Therefore no products that do the direct conversion (AFAIK)

To convert between them, you need to go through one of the more common standards (USB or Compact Flash). NOTE: the USB configuration only works for PDAs that support USB hosting (so forget about the CLIE for that, even the NZ90)

---
re: Sony and MS standards
There are plenty of MS stick readers not made by Sony. I don't know how many truely pay a royalty or not, but I suspect this is not a big source of revenue. However debating about Memory Stick proprietary interfaces is old news -- things have changed.

Sony's latest (and cheapest) stick reader supports both MS (MS, MS Pro, MS Duo, MS Pro Duo) as well as Compact Flash !
$20
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=MSACUSM1

NOTE: They did take out the White Stick "Magic Gate V1" support (which I suspect reduces their costs)

[Super Fly]

CliePet,

you made me suddenly nervous that my Sandisk imagemate 8-1 card reader would not work with a MS Pro card..... Checked the internet and it does, and loooky looky, not that it'll help with a clie, but Sandisk now has an Extreme III MS Pro, faster transfer rate!! So I'm hoping that with that release, the Ultra II's and the regular MS' will become cheaper yet! Hey it happened with CF, and I'm an optimist!! So I guess I'll wait another month or so before buying the new MS.

Sorry for the off topic.

[.PoNeH]

CliePet read the thread about the new NetFront 3.2