jg4 - 2005-11-16 5:59 PM
"Since drive does not have CF logo on the case, it CAN NOT be used with digital cameras and most PDAs/Pocket PCs."
What this means is that the drive is locked in IDE mode, most likely because it's been pulled out of an MP3 player.
Normal Microdrives can operate in either CF or IDE mode. In IDE mode, the drive is basically a 1" IDE hard drive, same as any laptop or desktop IDE drive. You need an IDE interface to be able to access the drive in this mode. In CF mode, the drive acts like any other CF device and can generally be accessed by any device capable of using solid-state CF memory cards. Windows CE does not support IDE mode devices on the CF slot, although I hear rumors that CE 5.0 does have such support.
Hitachi
(and others
) began locking OEM Microdrives
(the ones they sell to manufacturers for use in MP3 players and such
) into IDE mode a while back. They did this to prevent people from buying a 6GB MP3 playerfor $200 and pulling the drive, instead of paying the $300 for an end-user Microdrive.
What this means is either
(a
) the drive has been removed from a device intended to use Microdrives in IDE mode only, or
(b
) the seller somehow purchased a lot of IDE-locked OEM Microdrives and is selling them off. Either way, it won't work in an H/PC.
) Microdrives are all Type II (sometimes called CF+ ) devices. Type II cards are physically thicker than Type I, and won't fit in a Type I slot. It should work OK in the PCMCIA slot, with the appropriate adapter of course. The Hitachi CF to PCMCIA adapter usually cost $20 or so. You can probably find one for less than that, but make sure it's a Type II CF to PCMCIA. Most adapters are Type I CF to PCMCIA.
have modified their slot (or just closed it with tape) to hold a microdrive. It works perfectly. And I really do not understand why the slot was not type II in the first place, because there is plenty more space under the 720 that is just air, held by the edges. A redesigned cover would not hit the table.
