IBM microdrive: reliability?

[randomlinh]

More specifically, in digital cameras. Anyone w/ personal experience w/ them?

 

[StanFL]

You might try searching for Microdrive info here; http://www.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1010

It's a forum for Canon digital cameras and since both the S10 and S20 support the Microdrive there's been a fair amount of discussion about them on that forum.

 

[Mday]

and there is no info on the 1 gig version either.

meaning, they (those @ pc expo) don't know if current cameras are capable of using the 1 gig.

also, lexar has several speeds of compact flash which means there would be less time required between shots (since data has to be transferred to the disk) and the microdrive may be a bit slow which means more time required between shots...

i know time is an issue with the clik drive.

 

[Kjazlaw]

something else you might want to consider is the massive power drain (relative to compact flash). that's the main downfall of the product to me.

 

[Soccerman]

well the power drain might be an issue, the camera surely isn't going to be on all the time!

As for transfer rate, it isn't as fast as current harddrives, but it beats the hell out of removable storage, becuase it's it's own DRIVE.. like taking out your harddrive.

 

[Mday]

but if you want to take photographs, how long do you want to wait for the next snap... 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5 seconds?... it's already an issue with solid state, but it's worse for clik and microdrive.

 

[Soccerman]

hmm. well how could it take so long to transfer to the card? maybe they aren't designed for speed, but this harddrive isn't slow.

I personnally don't even have a Digital Camera, so I wouldn't know how fast they work. Anyone on more info with this subject?

 

[randomlinh]

i was under the impression the microdrive was actually faster than CF. I read that somewhere that was reviewing the Casio 3000 something.. i think.

Anyway, that isn't much of a concern to me, I'd rather have 340MB of storage on the road to be able to TAKE pictures rather than worry about how fast it can write to it.

Which is why i ask about reliability. I've read that after several months (9 i think was the average), the drives tend to fail. Now, I dont' think there was trouble in replacing them. Just wondering how valid that was or not.