A local retailer has an 8gb MD for $119US. Pretty good IMO. I don't know if it's locked or not.
Anyway, this isn't an info post, it's me speaking out loud about how large and cheap flash and MDs will get in the *very* near future. It's inevitable.
It's tempting/exciting to think about having 20-30gb in a hpc. It's also insane to think I could carry *all* my data with me wherever I go. Some folks I've tried to convert to hpcs complained there wasn't enough storage for them. That was when 2gb cards were $400. Fair enough. With 20-30gb available that barrier will be gone. The hpc community might see many more converts. You never know.
With such enormous storage available it will change the way I backup and generally the way I compute. Mass storage and disc burning are the only obstacles to me ditching my desktop. I don't know if disc burning will ever become a reality for a hpc/ppc but the mass storage eventually will.
Does anyone have any tech details to add? I know Samsung has a 32gb flash card. It's just a matter of waiting for the price to drop.
What's the largest pcmcia hdd available now? IIRC it's around 30gb. They will get cheaper with time.
IMO hpcs will be *far* more attractive to everyone when they have tons of storage