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My gripe about memory cards. |
jplacson
Joined: Apr 21, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Philippines
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You know how EVERYONE comes up with some new memory standard every few months... claiming to be better than the previous standard... blah..blah...f***in blah...
Ok, I don't mind progress, and upgrading in that sense...
My BIGGEST gripe with all memory cards?
If you're gonna come out with a new "smaller, better, faster, whatever-else-BS-marketing-crap" ...
PLEASE STOP MAKING SMALL CAPACITY CARDS!!!!!!!!!!
If the previous standard stopped at 2GB... the NEW format should START at 2GB... why the hell is it considered an "better" if the OLD format gave me 2GB, and the new one still comes in 512MB?!?!?! That's so f***ed up.
MS Duo stopped at 2 (or is it 4?) GB... M2 sticks should've started at 2GB already... working upwards from there...nothing under 2GB M2s should ever have been produced. It's not like the physical size of the Duo was THE primary issue. It was the speed, and capacity. They kept promising the Duos could reach 16++GB... then they stopped before they even hit 6GB, and came up with a "new and improved" M2 with "a better future roadmap" (which looks just like the same roadmap from their previous format, with the photo of the newer card in its place) ... and I still don't see 8GB M2 sticks... I see 512MB... 1GB...2GB...4GB... wtf?!!??!?! We had all these years ago... give us something NEW!
To be honest, this is the only reason I'm staying away from the P1i and going straight for the W960. Expandable memory to me is now a joke since they never give large capacity cards anyway. By the time they release a 10-12GB M2 (MicroSD, or whatever else) ... built in phone memory will probably surpass it anyway... and they'll probably ditch the current formats and come up with a stick that's 1/4 the size of the M2/MicroSD and claim it can hit 500GB... but they'll never release that capacity anyway... instead they'll release 1GB sticks all over again.
I've had it. 4 years and we're still waiting for anything over 4GB (when ALL older memory formats promised "larger than 4GB capacity capabilities" ... WE DON'T WANT SMALLER STICKS!!!!! I don't remember anyone really wishing "Damn, this Duo/SD is soooo bulky, I wish they made it smaller".
I see 6-8GB sticks "on the horizon"... geez... they've been "on the horizon" forever with ALL memory formats that have come and gone. This is THE ultimate marketing joke of all time.
Sorry.. just venting... it just annoys me to still see 512MB/1GB (128/256MB capacities should be banned already) memory cards released with the "new formats". It's about as ridiculous as releasing 10GB SATA drives.
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max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Australia
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I hear ya man, and feel the same myself sometimes, but have come to the conclusion there is not much that manufacturers can do about it realistically.
I think the reason they bring out ever smaller cards is to make it more cost effective to add more features to devices, which is good I think. It's in our best interests to have all components as small as possible. Do you really want a CF card hanging out of the back end of your phone? 
And the reason the architecture never starts at it's full capacity (example 32GB) is because 32GB memory is too expensive, but they don't want to have to change the architecture everytime memory gets a bit cheaper (that would be horendously expensive). So the architecture has to last for a while, as memory prices get cheaper and larger capacities are introduced. Again I think this is reasonable. (example in computers, they don't change memory architecture everytime they bring out a larger capacity - that would mean a new motherboard everytime you want to upgrade your ram).
Again the reason new memory card formats come out in lower capacities is that the cost of production is still higher than that of the larger memory formats. This falls as the new format becomes more common (economies of scale)
It's just simple economics, not a conspiracy. It sh*ts me off too, but ultimately I grin and bear it because it means that memory sizes do keep getting bigger and bigger. Hell I remember when phones had 2MB onboard and NO expansion at all. When the S700 came out I wet myself with excitement. And that had a maximum capacity of 128MB (MSD - not pro even). Now 512MB can be had for $20.
I do somewhat agree that pricing could be more competitive and motivational (who but idiots buy something when it comes out for 3 times the price it will be in another six months time? (unles they need it for some reason)
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Dogmann
Joined: Jan 29, 2006
Posts: > 500
From: London England
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@jplacson
I do understand what you are saying and whee you are coming from especially in regard to 64mb ,128mb, 256mb and 512mb cards i mean really what is the point of these. They don' hold enough Music in a higher enough quality to really be viable and the same goes even for pictures now as the Camera's have improved producing larger files. I mean how many people actually use the bundled card given with the device usually that is the first thing they upgrade.
Although i have been encouraged by the MicroSd and the SDHC variant as i really can't see these cards getting any smaller in physical size as otherwise you will need tweezers to insert and remove them. Also these card's already offer 4gb and by year end should deliver 6 & 8gb capacity. Considering they are hot swappable this means you can easily have up to 16gb of storage with you, next year we should even see 16gb and the mystical 32gb cards just how much storage do any of us really need on a mobile device i think i would struggle to fill a 8gb card to be honest. The other really positive thing i see is the fact that even these larger cards when launched no longer cost a fortune. The 4gb SDHC cards within a very short period of launch where down to approx £40 which personally i think is quite an acceptable price.
Marc
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[ This Message was edited by: Dogmann on 2007-07-29 11:20 ] |
PowerLee
Joined: Sep 22, 2005
Posts: 344
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You can get 8gb pro duo cards, they are available, have been for a month or 2. |
randomtask77
Joined: Jan 06, 2003
Posts: 313
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I think one of the reasons why I don't like larger built in memory in phones is because of the slow transfers.
I can't stand having to transfer music using the data cable with the phone. Way too slow. That's the only reason why I like having external memory is that I could use a card reader and transfer data at a much faster rate.
Otherwise, I probably would've been in the same boat as I'd like to have more memory on a phone.  |
jplacson
Joined: Apr 21, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Philippines
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On 2007-07-29 12:58:03, PowerLee wrote:
You can get 8gb pro duo cards, they are available, have been for a month or 2.
This is EXACTLY my point... they've been around for a MONTH or TWO? But the M2 cards are already replacing the Duos... and they just come out with an 8GB Duo NOW?!?!?!?! Geez... why would I bother investing in obsolete technology (now that the M2 is out, and no M2 phone will accept Duo cards anyway)
The Duo roadmap originally promised before should've given us 16GB and 32GB cards by now! And we're actually THANKFUL for an 8GB card released when the format is now obsolete??? Thanks...but no thanks.
Sigh...
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juniji
Joined: Apr 24, 2007
Posts: 116
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Wow. What a rant!
Here's some hard facts about M2, Duo that can explain your frustration.
1st and foremost, the card manufacturers are constrained by the capacity of the flash memory which is available. Today on 56nm flash, the biggest capacity available is 16Gb (2GB)**.
2nd is X/Y dimension package constraints. In M2, the 16Gb flash simply doesn't fit. So the biggest capacity available to M2 is 8Gb (1GB).
3rd is Z dimension package constraints. Usually, a 4-die stack memory is cutting edge technology. So Duo max card capacity is 4x16Gb= 8GB. And M2 is 4x8Gb = 4GB.
4th is the manufacturing talent to accomplish 1-3. Sony can do this in Duo, but has yet to come out with a 2GB M2.
Bottom line - a 32GB, 16GB, 8GB card is simply impossible to build without the next generation of flash memory.
Your rant about releasing high capacity only is simply short-sighted, as there are many people in the world with many differing budgets who don't neccesarily need 8GB of Metalica. In addition, lower capacity points are needed for the handset manufacturer, since they don't want to bear the burden of a high cost memory card which may never be used.
The point about M2 replacing Duo is not the case. It is Sony Ericsson (SEMC) replacing Duo slots for M2 slots to save room in the design. M2 is not replacing Duo in other markets such as PSP, DSC or Video cameras.
Data Transfer performance: This is truly the fault of SEMC and their slow baseband controllers. Their USB is very very slow - 0.5MB/sec or slower. Both Sony, SanDisk M2 can do data transfers at 3MB/sec or faster - for both read and write.
** lower case "b" is bits, upper case "B" is bytes.
Cheers
Juniji
[ This Message was edited by: juniji on 2007-08-05 19:00 ]
[ This Message was edited by: juniji on 2007-08-05 19:04 ] |
Airax
Joined: Feb 01, 2005
Posts: 23
From: London
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No Pro Duo memory cards are on there way out. I'm looking at a SanDisk road map in front of me, and they are phasing them out replacing them with M2's supplied with Pro Duo adapters in the pack. This may be down to a cost issue, but Pro Duo cards are definitly on the way out. |
max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Australia
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On 2007-08-05 19:58:48, juniji wrote:
Wow. What a rant!
Here's some hard facts about M2, Duo that can explain your frustration.
1st and foremost, the card manufacturers are constrained by the capacity of the flash memory which is available. Today on 56nm flash, the biggest capacity available is 16Gb (2GB)**.
2nd is X/Y dimension package constraints. In M2, the 16Gb flash simply doesn't fit. So the biggest capacity available to M2 is 8Gb (1GB).
3rd is Z dimension package constraints. Usually, a 4-die stack memory is cutting edge technology. So Duo max card capacity is 4x16Gb= 8GB. And M2 is 4x8Gb = 4GB.
4th is the manufacturing talent to accomplish 1-3. Sony can do this in Duo, but has yet to come out with a 2GB M2.
Bottom line - a 32GB, 16GB, 8GB card is simply impossible to build without the next generation of flash memory.
Your rant about releasing high capacity only is simply short-sighted, as there are many people in the world with many differing budgets who don't neccesarily need 8GB of Metalica. In addition, lower capacity points are needed for the handset manufacturer, since they don't want to bear the burden of a high cost memory card which may never be used.
The point about M2 replacing Duo is not the case. It is Sony Ericsson (SEMC) replacing Duo slots for M2 slots to save room in the design. M2 is not replacing Duo in other markets such as PSP, DSC or Video cameras.
Data Transfer performance: This is truly the fault of SEMC and their slow baseband controllers. Their USB is very very slow - 0.5MB/sec or slower. Both Sony, SanDisk M2 can do data transfers at 3MB/sec or faster - for both read and write.
** lower case "b" is bits, upper case "B" is bytes.
Cheers
Juniji
Interesting post, but M2 has already hit 2GB! I'm using one right now 
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randomtask77
Joined: Jan 06, 2003
Posts: 313
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Actually 4GB. I'm using a 4GB M2 stick right now. |
max_wedge
Joined: Aug 29, 2004
Posts: > 500
From: Australia
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On 2007-08-07 00:40:44, randomtask77 wrote:
Actually 4GB. I'm using a 4GB M2 stick right now.
I realise that, but I'm not using a 4GB yet (they are not available in Brisbane at the moment) |
alansmith33
Joined: Aug 17, 2007
Posts: 3
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Bought a 4gb Micro M2 from memoryking.com for £34.99inc vat...
If you type the voucher code "M2FREEDEL" then you get free shipping...
Took one day fro delivery. What a great service. Great price. Keep up the great work memoryking
http://www.memoryking.com/mal[....]tpage.cfm/MemoryKing/88584/1/1
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myk800i
Joined: May 16, 2007
Posts: 24
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totally agree. |
Alexandra
Joined: Jun 13, 2007
Posts: > 500
From: Nowhere Mobile: K800
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On 2007-07-29 10:28:49, max_wedge wrote:
Do you really want a CF card hanging out of the back end of your phone?
If it meant that we get CF ethernet, modems and time machines in our phones, then yes I most certainly would like to have a CF card in my K800
[addsig] |
*Jojo*
Joined: Oct 15, 2003
Posts: > 500
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I KNOW the ANSWER, and I will just SUM it up in TWO WORDS:
Marketing Strategy !
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Access the forum with a mobile phone via esato.mobi
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Posted: 2007-07-29 08:16
