SanDisk Hopes to End the Use of Microdrives

Laurens · 09-29-2005, 02:59 AM

Brighthand - SanDisk Hopes to End the Use of Microdrives:

Quote:

SanDisk has introduced a new flash storage device that it hopes will replace the use of embedded miniature hard drives in mobile devices.
...
SanDisk plans to release 1 GB and 2 GB iNAND versions before the end of this year, while a 4 GB version is planned for the first quarter of next year.

Pride Of Lions · 09-29-2005, 11:09 PM

Quote:

SanDisk iNAND is designed to run on the same bus as an SD card, making it straight forward to design into new products while also allowing easy design of products that support both embedded storage and removable Flash card slots.

Nice. I wonder if this new card (as if we really need a new card) will fit in an SD slot on current devices and, if so, if the devices will be able to use the card? What does it mean that it'll use the SD card bus? To me, that means that it's like an SD card (but if it's like an SD card, why couldn't it be an SD card? Is there some market condition that makes SanDisk feel like making a new type of card, or some technical limitation that to SD cards that SanDisk can overcome with this new technology? Curious.)

I wonder, also, how comparable prices will be on these new cards (to SD cards) and how comparable the amount of times it can be overwritten is.

If it fits and works in my Z2 I'll take two 4GB cards next year, please. I'll be willing to pay around $100/card. Of course, it might cost more...

dwig · 09-30-2005, 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pride Of Lions

Nice. I wonder if this new card (as if we really need a new card) will fit in an SD slot on current devices ...

That is NOT what the report is saying. One, they are reporting on a "chip" and not a package containing one or more chips and a standardized connector. Two, it is saying that the new chip is compliant with the "SD Bus", meaning that it is electrically compatible with SD allowing a device to support it and an SD card with the same controller chip thereby reducing the overall circuit complexity. They are not saying that it is physically compatible with the SD form factor. Since they are targeting a market based on replacing the internal micro-drives, the new device only needs to be smaller than about the size of a CFII card.

Pride Of Lions · 09-30-2005, 09:11 AM

Oh. Apparently an SD card is "a package containing one or more chips and a standardized connector." Who knew? I use "chip" and "card" interchangeably. Now I have an update to my lexicon.

And, how's it going to use the SD bus "meaning that it is electrically compatible with SD allowing a device to support it and an SD card with the same controller chip thereby reducing the overall circuit complexity" if it isn't physically the size of the SD card? OK, so it's smaller than the microdrive, which is the entire point, but to make use of the SD card slot at least part of it must be the SD size, right?

Like I said, I'm just kinda geeky. I have a ways to go befre I threaten any of your thrones.

Laurens · 09-30-2005, 09:17 AM

This solution is meant for embedded use by OEMs. (I.e. something that is built into devices.)

Incidentally, 4Gb SD cards are already on the market, though they are not widely available yet. Not sure if you can use cards with this capacity on a PalmOS device, though.

Pride Of Lions · 09-30-2005, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laurens

This solution is meant for embedded use by OEMs. (I.e. something that is built into devices.)

Well. That explains a lot now. Thanks. That's why it didn't make sense to me in my head. Especially in light of the current SD card capacities on the market.

09-30-2005, 09:11 AM	#4
Pride Of Lions just kinda geeky Posts: 381 Karma: 30 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oakland, California Device: iPhone	Oh. Apparently an SD card is "a package containing one or more chips and a standardized connector." Who knew? I use "chip" and "card" interchangeably. Now I have an update to my lexicon. And, how's it going to use the SD bus "meaning that it is electrically compatible with SD allowing a device to support it and an SD card with the same controller chip thereby reducing the overall circuit complexity" if it isn't physically the size of the SD card? OK, so it's smaller than the microdrive, which is the entire point, but to make use of the SD card slot at least part of it must be the SD size, right? Like I said, I'm just kinda geeky. I have a ways to go befre I threaten any of your thrones. Last edited by Pride Of Lions; 09-30-2005 at 09:12 AM. Reason: Added italics.

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09-30-2005, 09:17 AM	#5
Laurens Jah Blessed Posts: 1,295 Karma: 1373 Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: The Netherlands Device: iPod Touch	This solution is meant for embedded use by OEMs. (I.e. something that is built into devices.) Incidentally, 4Gb SD cards are already on the market, though they are not widely available yet. Not sure if you can use cards with this capacity on a PalmOS device, though.

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