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Gold Medal Software - Volume 3 (Gold Medal) (1994).iso
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ART11
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1994-02-27
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FlashDisk
by Tony Curro
I just recently acquired the HP 100LX that I reviewed in my last issue.
It does come with 2MB of memory, but it is nice to have mass storage
even on a palmtop. I received FlashDisk from SunDisk that fit the bill.
SunDisk makes PCMCIA FlashDisk cards that can store 1.8 to 40MB in
native mode. You can get them with Stacker preinstalled which just about
doubles the storage capacity of the cards. I am working with a 5MB card
that has almost 10MB free when I use Stacker.
FlashDisks are removable cards that fit into a PCMCIA slot on the
palmtop, and many notebook computers. Today, almost all notebooks have
eliminated floppy drives and/or also have PCMCIA capability. The card is
about the size of a credit card, and as mentioned can store large
amounts of data. For those who use a modem on a system with one slot,
you must remove the FlashDisk to use the modem.
FlashDisks use power only during writing and reading which dramatically
extends your computer's battery life. The internal architecture of the
FlashDisk is identical to hard disks. It will work with programs for MS
DOS as well as Windows. StaticRAM (SRAM) cards use battery power even
when the unit is turned off.
The card is basically plug-and-play. If Stacker is preinstalled, you
must run the install program from the card to set up the device driver
on your notebook. If Stacker is not installed, or you opt not to use it,
then you do not to run anything. The card is preformatted, and if
Stacker was installed, then you must reformat the card before use. The
object is to get as much storage space as possible, especially on a
palmtop, so I would not see why you would not want Stacker. I have been
using the card for several months, and have had no problems. As I
mentioned in earlier reviews on Stacker that I did, it is the standard
by which others are judged.
FlashDisk acts as a regular disk drive. Anything you can do with a hard
drive you can do with this card. Format, Copy, Delete, etc. One thing
you cannot do with a hard drive is place it in you jacket pocket. You
can with this. FlashDisk comes in a plastic jewel case. This is where
you should always place the card when it is not in your system.
The SunDisk SDP5 series uses SunDisk's 512 byte sector erase Flash
memory that was designed by SunDisk specifically for use in a mass
storage device. This architecture, coupled with the IDE controller,
means that SunDisk PCMCIA FlashDisks are 100% compatible with operating
systems, utilities, and application programs that support IDE disk
drives.
Some cards require a battery backup which means that if the battery
fails, so does the data. Not so with FlashDisk, as it does not require a
battery, so your data is always safe.
The cards are reasonably priced and available in many stores. As I
mentioned, I have been using the card, and am pleased with its
performance. I will recommend it to anyone with a portable computer.
Data transfer from a desktop to the FlashDisk is relatively fast. It
will depend on the speed of the unit. The 100LX has a 7.91Mhz processor.
It will take longer here than on an OmniBook 425 or similar computer.
There are companies that make drives that connect to your desktop, and
will accept a PCMCIA card for even quicker access. I hope to review this
in a future issue.
Product Information
FlashDisk
Mass Storage Systems
SRP -- $225-1995
SunDisk Corporation
3270 Jay St
Santa Clara, CA 95054
408-562-0500
408-562-0503 (FAX)