10D & Microdrive Aficianado's -> 4GB MD = $239.00

[Sketcher]

The mention below is reported to work fine in 10D (link below). I'm not particularly a fan of Microdrives, nor expensive ones for that matter; but I thought this was an interesting find. $239.00 for a 4GB Microdrive... Hmmm, I might be lured over to the dark side yet :shock:

4GB Hitachi Microdrive = $499.00 (stand-a-lone drive)
4GB Creative Muvo = $299.00 (uses a Hitachi 4GB Microdrive)
4GB Mini IPOD = $239.00 (uses a Hitachi 4GB Microdrive)

So, basically; you can buy a plain 4GB MD for $500.00 or a 4GB MD in Super Fancy Techno Wrapper for $239.00! Hmmmm..... I'll take mine with the fancy packaging please ;)

Noticed from this thread: http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=7276581
With instructions: http://www.andymack.com/mylog/

[Morden]

You know what? I did not even know that there was such a thing as a 4GB Microdrive!

[Jesper]

Also have a look here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/65456

Someone took apart the MuVo so that he could use the 4GB Microdrive in his 10D, and put an 1GB Microdrive in the MuVo. It works!

[Morden]

Very interesting! And I just spent money on a third 1GB card. Instead of the fourth that I was planning to get at some point soon, I might well get a MuVo 4GB and raid it for the lovely 4GB Microdrive!

[evilenglishman]

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[Morden]

would a 4gb MD work in a D-60?

I'm afraid not; because it can only use the FAT16 format, and not FAT32, it can only address 2 Gigabytes, so a 2 GB card would be the limit. It might be able to use 2 GB on a 4 GB card, but I'm not at all sure!

[evilenglishman]

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[Sketcher]

In another forum, someone mentioned that Apple's Mini Ipod ($239.00)also uses a 4GB Microdrive - though I haven't yet read of anyone gutting an IPOD for this application... and don't know if it's just as simple. give it a few seconds, someone will do it ;)

$239.00 for a 4GB ($499.00) Microdrive... Hmmm, I might be lured over to the dark side yet :shock:

[CyberDyneSystems]

I have every intention of trying this,.. as soon as I can find a muvo.

No one seems to have actually tried an I-pod which will require busting it open! :(

[Waterstar]

Apparently there is a debate as to whether the Muvo version used to extract the Microdrive might be a "pre production model" and that the "retail model" will have the "microdrive" soldered in place and cannot be removed.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=7285066

Raining on parade indeed!!

[Morden]

I've wanted an MP3 player for a while now and promised to get myself one after Christmas. This looks like fate "moving its mighty hand". :)

If I can swap the supplied 4GB Microdrive for one of my 1GB drives, that will be brill! If not, then I'll have a small, neat, high capacity MP3 player. Even with 'just' 1GB of storage, the MuVo will hold over 250 128Kbit MP3 files.

Anyway, I've ordered my 4GB MuVo2 - I'll post the results of the "operation".

[Sketcher]

Apparently there is a debate as to whether the Muvo version used to extract the Microdrive might be a "pre production model" and that the "retail model" will have the "microdrive" soldered in place and cannot be removed.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=7285066

Raining on parade indeed!!
Rain... Depending on the method used for soldering however (if they do go that route), desoldering is not a monumental task. I've had some experience with component level micro-miniature soldering but I don't imagine a "hardwired" MD is going to be all that much of a hassle for someone with a steady hand, decent soldering iron and some wicking braid. The HD pin connectors are readily available from many an online merchant. This extra step will likely dissuade the timid or those who don't have the tools or interest in performing the procedure however. Just pay attention to the tech forums. They'll be the first to report if MD's are being soldered in.

[CyberDyneSystems]

It would disuade me!

I've done Motherboard and raid controller hacks that take a few larger sized solder joints,. but a CF card? How many joints is that? Like 50!!!

My time spent would far exceed the the cost savings of buying the card... so it wouldn't be worth it even if i did have the nards to try :(

However,. the Raing on the parade is based on nothing? So I see no reason to think that this is a preproduction other than pure specualtion.

The more important question,. is if 4 gig microdrives are avaiblable to manufactureres for so little that they can then surround them in a case and fancy electronics and sell them for $229.00... then why is the bare drive $500.00!!!!!!!!???

[evilenglishman]

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[PacAce]

Apparently there is a debate as to whether the Muvo version used to extract the Microdrive might be a "pre production model" and that the "retail model" will have the "microdrive" soldered in place and cannot be removed.

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1019&message=7285066

Raining on parade indeed!!
Rain... Depending on the method used for soldering however (if they do go that route), desoldering is not a monumental task. I've had some experience with component level micro-miniature soldering but I don't imagine a "hardwired" MD is going to be all that much of a hassle for someone with a steady hand, decent soldering iron and some wicking braid. The HD pin connectors are readily available from many an online merchant. This extra step will likely dissuade the timid or those who don't have the tools or interest in performing the procedure however. Just pay attention to the tech forums. They'll be the first to report if MD's are being soldered in.

If you had to unsolder the MD from the Muvo, then does that mean that you're going to solder it on to your camera? My assumption is that if they had to solder it to the mp3 player, then there won't be a socket on it. And if there is a socket on it, then why would it be soldered to the unit in the first place? ???

[Sketcher]

If you had to unsolder the MD from the Muvo, then does that mean that you're going to solder it on to your camera? My assumption is that if they had to solder it to the mp3 player, then there won't be a socket on it. And if there is a socket on it, then why would it be soldered to the unit in the first place? ???
Very good point PacAce. It just depends on how they do the soldering whether via proprietory socket, direct pin to board connection or other method. If there's no socket, and the connections are accessible then it may be possible to solder on a standard micro drive connector. An 'other than standard' connector may be used; which would frustrate simply unplugging the MD for other use (but the potential would still be there to solder in a standard connector).

CDS is right in that it'd take some time. 50 connections is a significant undertaking especially regarding the size of those buggers. Whether it's worth it or not is relative to the person. He's also right in that right now, it's just 'talk' that the drives will be soldered in. Soldered drives have not yet been reported. So until they are, and images are available - it's really not worth speculating. I would tend to think though, once the Muvo or Mini IPOD 'alternative' to purchasing 4GB Micro drives becomes more well known - somebody will take note and make a change of sorts to prevent if not significantly hinder the process. Just my 02 cents.

Good points all around.

[Morden]

Anyway, I've ordered my 4GB MuVo2 - I'll post the results of the "operation".

Right. MuVo2 4GB * arrived today. I was out for several hours (meetings etc.) but, after ten minutes with the MuVo, a couple of tiny screwdrivers and some care, my MuVo now has only 1 GB of storage (still enough for a couple of dozen albums) and my 10D has a 3.8 GB Microdrive in it! Excellent!

I got the MuVo2 4GB for £240 from Dabs here in the UK, where I don't think the stand-alone 4GB Microdrive is even available.

* Whereas IBM were honest with the capacity of the 1 GB Microdrive, i.e. it IS 1 GB, Hitachi have employed the usual hard drive manufacturers con with the "4 GB" version. That is to say "1 Gigabyte is defined as 1,000,000,000 bytes". One of the oldest and most widespread scams in the world of computing! So, the "4 GB" Microdrive is actually 3.8 GB. It is still huge! My 10D estimates 647 RAW images at ISO 100, so probably nearer 700 will fit!

[fwhitesides]

Right. MuVo2 4GB * arrived today. I was out for several hours (meetings etc.) but, after ten minutes with the MuVo, a couple of tiny screwdrivers and some care, my MuVo now has only 1 GB of storage (still enough for a couple of dozen albums) and my 10D has a 3.8 GB Microdrive in it! Excellent!

So I take it that you can just put in another MD in place of the OEM 4gb that came out of it? Do you have to specially format it, or does the Muvo do that itself on startup?

Is there any way you test to see if a CF card would work in the Muvo? I would certainly buy one if I could just pop in an old CF card so that it would be usable (as I don't currently have a MD to swap).

[Morden]

So I take it that you can just put in another MD in place of the OEM 4gb that came out of it? Do you have to specially format it, or does the Muvo do that itself on startup?

I put one of my 1 GB Microdrives in the MuVo, which complained when next switched on. I upgraded the firmware with the latest version from nomadworld.com then had the MuVo format the drive. Bingo! 1 GB MuVo2.

Then - once I was sure that the MuVo would use the 1 GB drive - I formatted the 3.8 GB one in my 10D.

Is there any way you test to see if a CF card would work in the Muvo? I would certainly buy one if I could just pop in an old CF card so that it would be usable (as I don't currently have a MD to swap).

I haven't tried it but a poster on another forum stated that they had tried solid state CF cards with no success.

[fwhitesides]

I haven't tried it but a poster on another forum stated that they had tried solid state CF cards with no success.Thanks for the info. I wonder if it will work with a 340MB MD? Hmm...

[CyberDyneSystems]

Still trying to get a Muvo,. Creative said over a week before they have any in stock again...

In the meantime I will wait,. maybe the Ipod will finally get released and we can find out if that MD will work too :)

[tony723]

So I take it that you can just put in another MD in place of the OEM 4gb that came out of it? Do you have to specially format it, or does the Muvo do that itself on startup?

I put one of my 1 GB Microdrives in the MuVo, which complained when next switched on. I upgraded the firmware with the latest version from nomadworld.com then had the MuVo format the drive. Bingo! 1 GB MuVo2.

Then - once I was sure that the MuVo would use the 1 GB drive - I formatted the 3.8 GB one in my 10D.

Is there any way you test to see if a CF card would work in the Muvo? I would certainly buy one if I could just pop in an old CF card so that it would be usable (as I don't currently have a MD to swap).

I haven't tried it but a poster on another forum stated that they had tried solid state CF cards with no success.

I am interested if anyone has tried to use a CF card after replaced the 4G MD.

[CyberDyneSystems]

People have tried,. it doesn't work. Check over at the Dpreview forums if you wan the story first hand.

[tony723]

People have tried,. it doesn't work. Check over at the Dpreview forums if you wan the story first hand.
Thanks!

[Yarin]

This is a great idea!

Props to whomever figured this out. Does anyone know if a Drebel can take a 4gb CF or is it limited by the 2gb fat 16?

Thanks

Edit - I see the Drebel is fat 16/32. Buy.com has this for $199, there is a $10 off $175 coupon floating around for new customers. But it says it can only be applied to items marked "shipped within 1-2 days".

[tony723]

After 1 months time, there are some reported cases of using CF card to replace the Hitachi 4G MD MP3 player. It seems that the success depends on the brand name and size of CF card:

Brand Capacity Yes/No?
Buffalo 48M Yes
Canon 32M Yes
EagleTec 512M No
Hagiwara 256M Yes
Hitachi MD 1G Yes
IBM MD 340M Yes
IODATA 128M Yes
Kingston 512M No
Kingston 64M ?
Lexar 512M Yes
Lexar 12x 256M Yes
Lexar 16X 256M Yes
Lexar 24x 256M No
NCP 256M No
Nplus 128M No
PQI 256M No
PQI 40X 1G Yes
Ridata 512M No
Sandisk 192M No
Sandisk 512M Yes
Sandisk 64M ?
Simpletech 512M No
Transcend 512M No
Viking 256M No