My prediction: Compactflash will be the floppy replacement

[brxndxn]

Yup.. I called it first..

It's small, fast, portable, durable..

And, after the crazy initial prices go down, cheap. Why not have compactflash be the next floppy replacement? It's small, but not too small as to always get lost, and not too large as to be a pain.

You might be thinking I'm nuts.. But who that's been around for 10 years would've thought ram would ever be so cheap? or even the cdr? (remember? like $12 for a blank cdr)

The compactflash has one unique property in that its size can be increased with backward compatibilty with its devices. Like, you don't have to buy a whole new drive to support a 512mb flash after using a 128mb.

 

[spaceman]

awesome.
now can you tell me who will win the World Series this year? 😀

 

[dakata24]

i was watched segment on Call for Help that stress tested different media like CF, MMC, SM.

they put the CF in a toaster set to high for a few minutes or something, and it still worked. even over an open flame for 10 secs.. in water. etc.. didnt think they were that durable.

 

[brxndxn]

now can you tell me who will win the World Series this year?

The voices tell me Pittsburgh Pirates... but the visions tell me Chicago Cubs. When the voices and the visions start to smell like the same team, then I'll be able to tell you for sure.

 

[Lounatik]

It funny, but my cats have been telling me to watch out for the Tampax Bay Devil Rays. Sons of bitches!



Peace



Lounatik

 

[everman]

nah, it requires extra hardware ( a cf reader). I'd much rather use one of those usb pen drives which does not require a reader, just a usb port which all modern pcs have. Although really, I'd rather just have access to my file server from anywhere in the world...oh ya, I do 🙂

 

[Infos]

I thought the CD burner already had that job...
by the way the dvd player/cd burner combs will soon be the way most mfg sell their burners
that is until DVD burners come down in price 😉

 

[Ornery]

"Why not have compactflash be the next floppy replacement?"

I think that's a good call, but your user icon REALLY sucks! 🙂

 

[vegetation]

Actually, the readers are so cheap to product because the drive controller is built into the compact flash unit itself. Compact flash is a great memory unit, you can even plug it into your ide cable, with a pin converter, and use it as a true ide device without any drivers.

Originally posted by: everman
nah, it requires extra hardware ( a cf reader). I'd much rather use one of those usb pen drives which does not require a reader, just a usb port which all modern pcs have. Although really, I'd rather just have access to my file server from anywhere in the world...oh ya, I do 🙂

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

Originally posted by: brxndxn

now can you tell me who will win the World Series this year?

The voices tell me Pittsburgh Pirates... but the visions tell me Chicago Cubs. When the voices and the visions start to smell like the same team, then I'll be able to tell you for sure.

where do you get your peyote?

 

[nakedfrog]

About 2 years ago, I only had to pay $40 for a reader, and it came with a 24MB card. Handy little ah heck, too.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

You can get a 6in1 reader for $23.99

http://www.directron.com/apacer6in1.html

 

[CrackRabbit]

Or you can get the Über-Floppy from CrapUSA and not worry about it.

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

I'll take a $10 floppy drive and Apacer $23.99 card reader over that.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Hamburgerpimp
You can get a 6in1 reader for $23.99

http://www.directron.com/apacer6in1.html

i got one for $15 at fry's. windows xp detected the card that was in it and let me select it to install to.

 

[CrackRabbit]

yes, but its all in one unit, no messy external stuff, newegg has it for 60 bucks if you dont like CrapUSA

 

[Viper GTS]

Damn, one of those internal readers would be a lot more convenient than the Dazzle reader I have now...

I'm a little concerned by the internal USB connection, does it connect to a front USB header, or does it require you to run a cable out the back to an external USB port?

Viper GTS

 

[CrackRabbit]

take a look at it on Newegg it shows the back of it, i figure you can just run a cable from an internal header

 

[Red Dawn]

Originally posted by: brxndxn
Yup.. I called it first..

It's small, fast, portable, durable..

.

My prediction: You will die alone!

 

[Viper GTS]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit
take a look at it on Newegg it shows the back of it, i figure you can just run a cable from an internal header

I wish they showed a picture of the cable that ships with it, that's just a standard USB-B connector.

At <$25 for the one at Directron though, I suppose it's not a great risk. (I need the black faceplate & don't mind using my other external 3.5" bay)

Viper GTS

 

[Syringer]

Someone still uses floppy?

I thought the CD-R replaced floppy..

 

[CrackRabbit]

not a problem just disconnect the usb headers from the backplate they come on and set them (or better yet secure them) to the bottom of your case, and then plug in regular usb cable... or if your truly bored rewire a usb cable to fit the mobo headers.

 

[busmaster11]

So many technologies have been called the replacement for floppies but they've all come and gone; so many and for so long so that the need for a replacement is dwindling. I see two primary needs for floppies.

1. convenient storage and retrival of small amounts of data - now that everyone has USB ports people can carry around little 32mb key fobs for that. In this market, CF has been around for so long that if it were to take over the market it would have done so a while ago. Don't get me wrong, I think CF is the best standard out of all the removable medias, but it will always fill a niche only, and as with the other competing formated, never be ubiquitous as the floppy still is.

2. emergency bootup into a rudimentary OS for troubleshooting and reinstallation of OS. Modern OSes now have built-in abiulity to boot into diagnostic command shells, though I can see the need to boot from floppy on occasion, such as when performing RIS and you're out of PXE NICs...

 

[royaldank]

Originally posted by: Syringer
Someone still uses floppy?

I thought the CD-R replaced floppy..

It has in my life, and at my office, and with all my friends. CDRs and the internet have combined to make floppies obsolete.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Um, CD-Rs are the floppy replacements, if it has a replacement. But as wired as we all are now, we can just email the stuff we used to stick on a floppy and give to the guy in the cubicle 5 feet from you. Compactflash sure as hell isn't a replacement