Slashdot Mirror
1.8" USB Portable Hard Drive
Jin-Wei Tioh writes "The folks at BlueSmoke take a look at Transcend's recently announced 1.8" USB 2.0 portable hard drive, the only one of its kind on the market. Roughly the size of a small stack of business cards, it is quite a bit smaller than existing 2.5" drives. It holds either 20GB or 40GB of data and is styled like an iPod."
The VST FireFly was based on the 1.8" 5GB drive (the one that was in the original iPod). It was also extremely tiny; however, it was limited in capacity, and eventually discontinued.
I was waiting for something like this. I wonder how reliable something like this would be if left on/used as a main drive for extended periods of time.
I would imagine this could easily power new digital video cameras, and you could actually record in true digital mode instead of on tapes.
cat_man_50
Check out the 404 page for this site:
f
http://www.bluesmoke.net/Graphics/Digits/trans.gi
Pretty funny.
As hard drive/memory chip/etc devices get smaller and smaller, I wonder how people will be able to keep track of where the hell their (physical, not logical) memory is....
I can see a new market now, not for data recovery, but for recover-the-data-device recovery....I'll make millions!
-thewldisntenuff
My MythTV HowTo
I currently am using a 40GB laptop drive in a USB case. it is about the size of a deck of cards (just a bit longer) and requires no exteral power source. It is really handy.
Of course, it would even be better if it was smaller, so I can already feel that compulsive twitch in my hand as it dives for my wallet to fork over some bucks for one of these.
Well...
;-)?
You don't want to name your site bluesmoke.net and post a link to slashdot, don't you
- Arwen, I'm your father, Agent Smith.
- Well, you're just Smith, but my father is Aerosmith!
Freecom have had an external hard drive based on a 1.8" unit for a couple of months now.
Link
"it is quite a bit smaller than existing 2.5" drives."
.7"?
Say about
Excuse me? It is flat, rectangular and whitish by the look of the ./-ed site. Apart from that it doesn't look like an iPod at all. Since when is everything that is rectangular and flat styled like an iPod? Is a paperweight styled like an iPod? Or an iced cake?
Please, think before you post.
----- One learns to itch where one can scratch.
http://www.adstech.com/products/API_820/intro/API8 20intro.asp?pid=API820
They have a DV drive that you can plug into a FireWire camera and record straight to the hard drive. I want one, but I haven't been able to find any reviews on the product so I'm reluctant to spend $700.
Creative Demolition
1) Take a PDA with a reasonable CPU (one that could handle say low-res divx playing at a decent framerate)
2) Include built in hard-drive
3) Profit
This comment does not represent the views or opinions of the user.
"Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend) releases its 1.8 USB 2.0 portable hard drive this month, April 2004. Although roughly the size of a standard business card, it has more than enough capacity (20GB/40GB) for your data storage needs. No need to carry around another troublesome power brick either; it is powered directly from the USB port. This pocket drive is perfect for the person always on the go."
"Data transfer rate is up to 480 Mbps (USB2.0). This device is fully compatible with USB2.0 and backwards compatible with USB1.1 specifications. Unlike CD-RWs, which require special software, pocket drives will appear as just another hard drive. There isnt any extra driver software to worry about (except for Win98SE). Using the included ExBoot software, your entire computer can be backed-up and restored at a moments notice. Weighing only 4.2oz (118g) for the 20GB HDD and 4.6oz (130g) for the 40GB HDD. Transcends portable hard drive is as rugged as it is lightweight. Smaller and more convenient than a 1.44MB floppy diskette, this hard drive is ready to go wherever and whenever you need it."
"The television is the retina of the mind's eye" - Videodrome
I've been using my ipod for that for a while now. It's remarkably handy having gigabytes of storage that can be used from most computers without installing a driver, and that will fit in your pocket.
The one annoying thing is that you can't access the music player functionality while it's mounted as a disk.
why not use an iPod ?? It's Firewire+USB2, also has upto 40GB capacity and features a handy display for built-in calendar/notes/game/...
The article is slashdotted, so I don't know te price difference.
When will I end this grieving ? When will my future begin ?
https://ec.transcendusa.com/product/memspitem.asp
= 1883
and
http://news.amdplanet.it/news.php?a=shownews&last
actually I am happy to see you, however that is in fact a banana in my pocket.
How long before we start to see PDAs with hard-drive based storage?
Then the only limit on the software will be the processor speed and battery life.
Who wouldn't want a system like that that you could fit into your back pocket?
That tiny harddisk sounds nice, but I wish it will have USB host or Compact Flash card reader so I can transfer all the photos from my digital camera to the harddisk. Large CF or microdrives are too expensive, and this sounds like a much better solution.
I have a question:
How well can the tiny hard drives withstand shakes and magnetic fields? It's seems that there is not much room for shielding.
------- In the end there are no begining
I don't know where you're reading that "all the common ones seem to require a slew of hacks to get working properly", but I, for one, have never had to use any hack to get an external drive to work. Just plug it in and mount it.
How long until portable data storage integrated with built in WiFi becomes standard? Just walk up to any computer, set it down, type in the password and you are good to go. No cables required.
Download my free songs!
My casket is going to be "styled like an iPod."
Enough already.
There is one on the Japanese market, however. (Sorry, Japanese only but w/ pics.)