Want a cheap 4Gb microdrive ?

Some guys over on the Canon 10D forum at www.dpreview.com have found a cheap source of 4Gb microdrives (much needed if you like shooting raw photos rather than jpeg). The source, Creative Nomad Muvo MP3 players...

http://www.pbase.com/image/25120048

Apparently the drive works fine in the 10D and you can replace the 4Gb drive with an old 1Gb one and still have an MP3 player

I can't find 4Gb microdrives for sale in the UK (1Gb seem to be about 120 UKP). The Muvo is 230 UKP on Amazon.co.uk, looking at the US prices the 4Gb drive will probably be 300 UKP or more.

What drive does the Nitrus use ?

i found this today....

http://www.bensbargains.net/ktalk/1074099538,91410,.shtml

(sorry, link works if you c/p)

That's too cool. If I hadn't already spent $350 for a 1GB Sandisk Ultra II CF card, I'd do this in a second. I have to say, I'm pleased with the CF card, it's very fast. I'll have to troll DPREVIEW for microdrive speed specs later.

-Zeke

Your Sandisk card is nearly twice as fast as the 4Gb microdrive (in a Canon 10D at least):

http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=6007-6111

...4 GB? I just tried to find a "Muvo" for 4Gb, and came up null. Even searching in eBay had no hits..

Me.

Amazon UK have it (or at least will have it in 1-2 weeks):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00015UA7W/normancx-21

Hey, sweet! Thanks for the robgalbraith site link, lots of good information there. I think I'll keep the UltraII. I'm not a RAW shooter (yet). I have to give them a shot now that I got my hands on a faster CPU & Photoshop CS.

-Zeke

[Edit: I coulda swore I replied to this already. But it's not there. Oooh, dejavu.]

Anyways, I feel jipped now. That's not available over here in the US - at least, www.amazon.com dosn't come up with it when I search for it there. I have a 10D and could find that useful, espicaly when I head over to the Far East this Spring..

Me.

I know of a place to get the Nomad Muvo 4GB in the States. It is 300 plus shipping of like 25. Tell me if you are interested.

Or someone can ship across the Pond

PM me if the other source doesn't work out.

The iPod mini is supposed to have the same drive in it and It's only $249. Mine should arrive in mid-February and I plan on taking it apart immediately to find out if the drive is removable.

- trs

Would be interested to see if it is. Please keep us updated. That is much cheaper!!!

If anyone is thinking of doing this, be careful. There appears to be some confusion, with people claiming that the US version (at least) of this player does not have an extractable microdrive in.

http://www.fatwallet.com/forums/messageview.php?catid=18&threadid=265023

My best guess is that the early production of the unit used complete extractable microdrives until Hitachi started supplying them with bastardized microdrives.

No surprise I guess, Hitachi want to keep selling their microdrives to us mugs at twice the price.

Actually it's even cheaper at $229.00 with the educational discount.

- trs

No surprise I guess, Hitachi want to keep selling their microdrives to us mugs at twice the price.

Maybe.. but mostly device manufacturers do not want to add the not inconsiderable cost of a CF connector to their BOM, not to mention having to find board space for a huge connector in a tiny product (well, that affects some of us anyway).

It's funny what we think of as huge these days!

Rob

It's funny what we think of as huge these days!

I'm sure there is a joke about embedded devices and sexual inadequacy in there somewhere

**BUMP**

Well, It's confirmed - the 4GB Microdrive is used in the iPod mini.



- trs

But, it doesn't work in anything else (where anything == PCMCIA adapter, USB reader, Fuji s602), and replacing it with a 1g MD doesn't work in the iPod (the iPod itself works, but it won't talk to a computer), yet. I think they did something screwey with the drive firmware, I ripped mine apart Friday but I've given up making it work pending other people figuring it out.