Overview of accessories, manufactured and sold abroad, a curious thing, but useful only in part. On the one hand, to want to buy some gizmo, about her need to know. On the other - what a joy to know about it, if this is the gizmo we have not sold and it is unknown whether or not sold at all? Better to talk in detail - about the technique, which can be bought here and now. Therefore, today's hero - not Casio, not Hewlett-Packard and is not even cute to me Pretec (it produces a nice "gadgets" for handheld computers). Today's hero - the company MakTsentr "that sells the products of the same Casio, Hewlett-Packard and Pretec here in Russia. And not only sells, but she produces some accessories ...
Memory cards and adapters for them
Pocket PC without a flash memory card - it's either an old computer or a very old computer. All new models, including the lowly Palm, equipped with slots for such cards, and therefore have the potential for virtually unlimited capacity of internal memory and an instant (literally, in one motion!) Changing set of business programs. Simply put, changing the memory card, we simply introduce the elementary in a pocket typewriter class Pocket PC (a Palm `s all arranged slightly differently and without the multimedia frills), a music album in MP3, a library of electronic texts or collection of toys. Like a stick into a portable CD player a new drive - again, and ready. On the virtues of flash memory cards say it is hardly worth - the owner of any CCP knows this himself. But the shortcomings should stop. The first major drawback - price. Flash memory is an expensive pleasure. Fifty dollars for a 64-megabyte module is not so trifling money. But the memory of some formats even more. His most expensive and most popular today formats - Compact Flash. However, if you look in network directories, where Moscow (and not only Moscow), firms are offering their wares, it is easy to see that the spread in prices for flash memory card is quite large. The same 64-megabyte card format Compact Flash (CF) can not find $ 50 and, say, $ 32. And if you do not hurry, it is still cheaper. However, should buy it for $ 50. Why? Because the brand. A brand - it is reliable, high speed read and write plus "bug-free." And the warranty, finally. Hardly basement merchant card swap, the failed six months after purchase. A serious company that sells merchandise with a name that will change. We all strive for opportunities to save money. And because the extra five dollars for a proprietary card try not to overpay. But the acquisition cards obscure firms is fraught with waste of money. Many times I was convinced this (I think you are too). Flash memory, like a normal hard drive may have bad sectors, read errors, variable speed of information exchange (in the winchester closer to the spindle - it's faster, and in solid state memory, I do not know, but some relationship exists). It is believed that will work without the error a new memory card is functioning correctly and on. And that it can happen if the supply voltage is stable (controlled by the circuit of the computer itself), and mechanical loads card is not afraid? But the fact of the matter is that, in practice, anything may happen. In Memory unnamed manufacturer suddenly reduced capacity, or general information is no longer readable. Run the disk check utility (card system works just like a regular hard drive), and she begins to close the "broken" clusters. No doubt, the preservation of information in the flash memory card on the order of magnitude higher than the electromechanical drives. Not for nothing is so popular today are relatively expensive drives Flash Drive - Plug into a USB port and shaped key ring. But, again, anything may happen. One is not the most famous, but the tried and trusted manufacturers of flash memory cards - the company Pretec. It sticks I found in "MakTsentr, spent money on them and so far this has not regretted. It seems to be nothing special - a card like card. But - working (that from her, in fact, required).
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One of the features of the CompactFlash card is built into the controller. This allows, first, simplify the handheld (as well as any digital device that uses memory cards of this standard - for example, a camera) and to reduce energy consumption (the computer does not have to supply the energy untapped controller card in the slot when not). And secondly, to achieve a very simple and logical scheme of modernization of the computer. Once the controller is built into the card, then buying a new module, we also acquire a new controller! That is, increases the recording speed-read anything, in fact, not changing in the computer. Not my idea, I read it in one of the computer magazines. But I liked it before, do not resist the quote ... if this solution was used in hard drives, we would not have thought about the specifications of their interfaces. Sets a new hard drive, and there already and UDMA-100, and other delights of the latest technology ... But while this is not and probably never will. And in memory cards CF - there! No matter how good CompactFlash, a format that is not universal and certainly not perfect. In contrast, SD or Memory Stick (two very popular among the handheld format) on the CF card is no basic protection from accidentally overwriting data. In the cards competing standards, this protection is implemented as a mechanical blocking entry switch - as in the usual three-inch floppy disks. But that's okay - no, so no. What to do with physical incompatibility? The house, for example, two "pickpocket" - Palm slot MMC / SD, and Casio BE-300 with a slot CF. What to do? And how to use a memory card with a desktop computer or laptop? Do not buy this as Flash Drive, if there already is a card (or several maps) of flash memory? Questions, of course, naive. Everyone knows that to connect the memory card to the "big" computer or a handheld machine other family needs a special adapter. The cheapest of them - CompactFlash Type I card slot for PC card. This product from Pretec is the "MakTsentr" only $ 10. A fun (and profit) from it - one hundred thousand (figuratively speaking, of course).
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For example, I have long and, hopefully, quite successfully using a ThinkPad in the work produced by IBM. This computer has no built-in floppy drive, and external "writing" CD-RW I have to buy as a "not mine". I'll take a lot of disks? Well, one year. Well, two. Then why I like this game? But some "fun" is needed anyway - as a backup device. Information - text and a number of pictures - are becoming not so much, only about 30 megabytes (pictures of them quite a bit because I was not too much like digital photography, in the optional hobbies I avowed conservative). To have some margin, multiply 30 megabytes (in archived, compressed form) into two, we get 60 megabytes. The drive of this size would cover my needs for the next few years ... And this is the standard amount of relatively inexpensive flash memory card - 64 MB. Inserting one of the flash memory card into the adapter and the adapter itself - in the PC card slot of a laptop, I get enough high-speed, extremely reliable and durable drive that easily fits in your wallet. Think of another wonderful device - external hard drive ZIV. Lulu, huh? Ten - twenty - thirty gigabytes in your pocket ... And if you accidentally shmyaknut? Happens then? And - wept bitter tears of 200-300 dollars. And with them, and carefully preserved in the archives of information ... with a card that is not possible in principle. Before Flash Drive, which is much more comfortable and progressive (small, elegant, connects to any PC) memory card has one significant advantage. I can rearrange the map in the PDA or digital camera.Flash Drive - just plug into the USB port of a large machine ... Although, it is necessary to have something, and more. And do not talk too much about such trifles. Of the memory cards of other formats, I really liked the card and MultiMedia card compatible with Secure Digital (and it is clear, I have the same except the BE-300 is also a Palm). But rearranged a miniature SD card into the machine slot CompactFlash I can not, because slots are physically incompatible ... While I can not. And if you buy a CF-SD adapter from the same Pretec - I can. This adapter is made in the CompactFlash form factor with built-in miniature slot MMC / SD. Insert the small card into the adapter and the adapter - in another adapter for PC card. And yet this economy - into a notebook. Now tiddly card from Palm `and can serve as a backup drive wow. And why not?
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True, my old "pretekovsky" adapter will not work - CF-SD adapter is made in a thick form factor CompactFlash Type II, respectively, and an adapter for PC card slots required format Type II (it costs twice as much - $ 20, but still quite acceptable). There may be opportunities for astute description of an adapter for small and tiny memory cards to round out. But note - this adapter is called Compact Trio. Why would it? And the fact that in addition to MMC and SD, he turns to another and CompactFlash cards Memory Stick from Sony. Moreover, as the old standard of 2.0 and the latest Memory Stick Duo. That is, all conceivable card utility in one plump plate CF. $ 70.
Sync cable and charge batteries
Describe more or less significant part of the "pocket-computer" accessories in one article, there is no possibility. Therefore focus on the fact that most attracted me personally. First, the most obvious - the USB cable to synchronize Casio BE-300 desktop PC and laptop (this cable is available in different versions for all models of PDAs) ... The story here is. Every six to eight weeks I'm going on the road and going to the "middle of nowhere." Every six to eight weeks I break my head - what can I take to the road, and what to leave home. "Beds" to synchronize the BE-300, I pushed into the bag at last. While I am so tempted to give up on Pocket PC hand and push it along with the "crib" to the far desk drawer. Comfortable in a hospital, "cradle" CCP becomes a burden on the road. And then it helps out the sync cable. Still compact and flexible "string" is easier to fit into a crowded bag rather than plastic cuttlefish bulk form. However, the use of this cable will be both in ordinary life. For example, a "crib" can be kept constantly connected to your home computer and to synchronize the handheld machine from the office computer using a cable USB. Its also possible to bring along for the connection with another machine (to, say, hit the nation to its PDA somewhere away). However, in this case it is necessary to take a more compact and with a set of synchronization software ... Another curious item - a cable for synchronization and charging PDA at the same time from the USB port or car cigarette lighter socket. Can not say anything about the practical side of this wisdom, because he did not speak nor cable, nor powerful enough to effectively recharge the USB port on your laptop, let alone a car. But the thing is, I suppose standing. Dimensions of power supply to the BE-300 less than other computers, but everywhere to carry it with you anyway else fun. Besides, too Deanne wire also prevents.
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And all-all-all
And me, when I go into "MakTsentr, his eyes constantly gets a combined handle - also seems to be from Pretec. Inexpensive (a dozen "green") and very pretty to look at. Handle This may serve for ordinary letters, and doodles in Graffiti. Konopochka pushes alternately writing a node, the Teflon tip.In short, wow style ... Alas, this 'feature' at me all the time is not enough money (I would have tried to steal it, but education does not allow). On the set of sweet additions such as modules Bluetooth, GPRS, wired modems and digital cameras in the card is constructive, we must speak separately. Curious little things, but, unfortunately, not cheap. Appetite comes with eating? Exactly. It remains only to find the money to suffice for all these things ... Ah, heavy share of the very top of the computerized old slacker ... authors, translation:
Nikolai Yakovlev