Seagate 4.0 GB CompactFlash Photo Hard Drive - First Impressions

[Deadpoet]

Guys guys,

please read properly before you post. Look at the recent posts, we are talking about backups and data security clearly so the concern is about the safe storage and vulnerabilities of our data (images). Please do not ask irrelevant questions.. read first!

Who is asking irrevelenbt questions? Are there such thing as irrevelent questions?

 

[hifisiao]

Guys guys,

please read properly before you post. Look at the recent posts, we are talking about backups and data security clearly so the concern is about the safe storage and vulnerabilities of our data (images). Please do not ask irrelevant questions.. read first!

 

[hifisiao]

This one post below is silly. Who doesnt know that?

Failure means 2 things to me.

1) When I loose any data.

2) When it does not work as it is suppose to, specifically and especially when I am shooting.

Why it fails is irrevelent to me. If and when it fails, it failed.

 

[lightning]

Well, I really don't understand how you can have a new MD after warranty expired? Sell old one and buy a new one? Or are you saying that since the cost is 1/4 per GB, you just go buy another new one?

You are absolutely correct, MD is meaningfully cheaper than Flash Memory, but that is only part of the equation. With moving parts, it is absolutely more prome to failure. When it failed, and you have data in it, or you are in the middle of a shoot, no amount of warranty or cost per GB is going to do you any good.

I am not saying flash memory does not fail, but it is must less likely to fail. The game of probability is definately on the side of flash memory.

Well, I do believed that it will be easier to recover data from a failed MD as compare to a failed FD. Correct me if I am wrong.

 

[yanyewkay]

I did. Once with an IBM 1 GB MD.

However, if there are moving parts, the likihood that it will fail is definately higher than those without moving parts.

It's a higher risk.

i see.. ok thanks for your input. I guess you must have had first hand painful experience of losing data from a MD.

hitachi wasn't a good harddisk maker anyway. they couldn't even handle a 3.5 inch form factor factor properly, let alone 1 inch.

 

[hifisiao]

guys, pls note that we are not comparing disputing about warranty issues here. Anyone can see that the service life of a flash card will definitely be longer becose they come with lifetime warranty while a microdrive does not not.

Whether a microdrive is more prone to failure has yet to seen seen unless we get enough feedback (Not speculations).

For now, we have 1 reported case, unfortunately it did not provide enough information such as:

1. Total failure? Cant read at all? Data all lost?
2. Read error at certain times (or sectors), some data could be restored.
3. After-sales support - was the drive replaced free? If not, what was the charges incurred? Was data restored somehow by the service centres?


Until then, we should not jump to conclusion like uneducated uncles or aunties always do. Hopefully more owners will provide feedbacks. As of now, there is not enough statistics to prove a point. As of now, statistic shows more data are lost as a result of equipment thefts. Until we poll all flash card and microdrive users, we cant be sure.

 

[DeSwitch]

All argument is valid in some point. To some its value for money and to some, its risk. While harddisk or MD lost data can be recovered (high cost involved) I had never heard of recovering data fron CF cards. (can it be done? pardon my ignorance if there is)

I'm using a Seagate 8Gb MD on my 350D and now I enjoy shooting in Raw+Jpeg cos I have no storage worries. I can shoot about 892 photos in Raw format. Latest batch of Seagate MD are consuming lower power and can withstand higher shock. Someone mention that the G-shock cannot protect a MD while in operation, well thats not true, in-built is a motion sensor that can park the drive's recording head if certain G-shock is encountered. Just to make a un-published record. Mr. Sim (Creative) drop a Seagate drive from chess height while surveying a new MD for his product sometime back. It survived and his MP3 player still works. My friend was a Consumer product intergration manager told me this.


Everyone have their own views. We have to respect others view. Good or bad is entirely up to the person just like buying L-lens or 3rd party lens.

I can only say the MD is good and is a value for money. Bear in mind that this is a new batch not the old batch.

 

[Deadpoet]

This one post below is silly. Who doesnt know that?

Apparently you did not.

Who do you think you are to judge what people post? If you do not like what I post, point it out. Don't use generality. Ofcourse, if you don't have a valid reason, you must therefore use generality.

 

[hifisiao]

aw..please ...get lost

ask you to post useful information, you dun have.

Ask you to post your full information about your microdrive failure, also dun have.

Must as well get lost from here ...

Apparently you did not.

Who do you think you are to judge what people post? If you do not like what I post, point it out. Don't use generality. Ofcourse, if you don't have a valid reason, you must therefore use generality.

 

[Deadpoet]

aw..please ...get lost

ask you to post useful information, you dun have.

Ask you to post your full information about your microdrive failure, also dun have.

Must as well get lost from here ...

sorry to disappoint you ... I am here to stay

My micro drive failed. What else do you not understand? Do I have to be an engineer in order to post my experience here? The most important thing is, I am a consumer, I bought a micordrive, it failed on me, cost me bucks to recover the data, and IBM gave me a new drive. And ever since, I am very weary about using the microdrive.

Now, what full information do you need or want?

Do answer this question. Since I am not an engineer, and I don't have full understanding of the inner workings of a micro drive, or any HDD, so I am not qualify to post my experience?

oh, btw, please stay, post stupid post so that I have someone to crap on, it's entertaining!

 

[lightning]

Some time ago, I left 2 cf card in the car, one 256MB Kingston Normal CF and the other is the 340MB MD, Well sad to say for some reason the 256MB Kingston CF card decided to retire! While the MD survived!

Anyone has similar experience that solid state CF retire after some heat treatment? :think:

 

[unseen]

Deadpoet => stop being lame. I've a failed Lexar CF card. Does it mean that all Lexar CF cards cannot make it? I think there are more cases of failed CF cards than failed MD cards. Most of us either has a CF card **** up on us before, or personally know someone who did.
Is that true for a MD? I doubt it.

 

[Deadpoet]

Deadpoet => stop being lame. I've a failed Lexar CF card. Does it mean that all Lexar CF cards cannot make it? I think there are more cases of failed CF cards than failed MD cards. Most of us either has a CF card **** up on us before, or personally know someone who did.
Is that true for a MD? I doubt it.

are we here in CS suffering from lack of brain matters for comprehension? I gave my experience I had with microdrive. I am skeptical with moving parts packed inside such a micro enclosure. That is my opinion, based on my experience. I am sure there are flash memory failure out there too. I don't like microdrive, and that is my preference, and based on my understanding of how things may fail. I am sure flash memory fails too. So, be my guess, switch to microdrive for all I care.

My problem with some of the post in this threat is, poster simply will not tolerate opioions and preferences that are different to theirs. How sad.

To unseen, be my guess, go with microdrive, you will probably do fine, and good chance you will not run into problems I had, but I am sticking with flash memories, whre there are no moving parts, and therefore, just a few less things to break.

 

[Newman]

Bad reputation can be very sticky even if a product has been improved over time. Microdrives were the answer for compact devices which require large storage capacity in a small package. However, the early versions were power hungry, generating a lot of heat and more prone to failure than solid state storage devices with lower capacities. The newer models may have had a huge improvement but some things just don't change. Portable hard drives like those for notebooks and microdrives have higher shock protection than those for your PCs because simply they were designed for mobile usage. Microdrives may still be workable if you dropped it a few times. But who is to know the next drop might kill it? Or it may just well fail during prolonged usage because a tiny internal crack triggered the failure due to heat buildup? Try dropping a CF card. Think it can't be hurt? How about a SD card? Tried bending it a little? A lot of things can go wrong with any of this devices. Shock, fine cracks on the circuit board, mechanical failures, power surge, etc. can cause problems and most often than not, they occur when you least expect it. However, it is quite common to expect something with moving parts to fail more often than one without moving parts. Worse still when the device generates a lot of heat, which is another major factor that causes failure. I've changed more hard disks in my work than motherboards, RAM or expansion cards combined so there is no doubt for me that a solid state storage device is more reliable.

I've a failed Lexar CF card. Does it mean that all Lexar CF cards cannot make it? I think there are more cases of failed CF cards than failed MD cards. Most of us either has a CF card **** up on us before, or personally know someone who did.
Is that true for a MD? I doubt it.

Well, do you think there is an equal number of CF and MD users? You hear more cases of failed CF cards simply because there is significantly a higher number of CF users than MD users.

 

[hifisiao]

you are so bloody stupid or cant read english. I asked in my earlier post:

1. Total failure? Cant read at all? Data all lost?
2. Read error at certain times (or sectors), some data could be restored?
3. After-sales support - was the drive replaced free? If not, what was the charges incurred? Was data restored somehow by the service centres?


You dun need to be be an engineer to answer those questions. The purpose is to indicate how badly the failure was (Data loss? All or partial etc?), and how the problem was addressed to give everyone here an idea of what to expect with MD.

How about changing to "Stupidpoet" instead?

sorry to disappoint you ... I am here to stay

My micro drive failed. What else do you not understand? Do I have to be an engineer in order to post my experience here? The most important thing is, I am a consumer, I bought a micordrive, it failed on me, cost me bucks to recover the data, and IBM gave me a new drive. And ever since, I am very weary about using the microdrive.

Now, what full information do you need or want?

Do answer this question. Since I am not an engineer, and I don't have full understanding of the inner workings of a micro drive, or any HDD, so I am not qualify to post my experience?

oh, btw, please stay, post stupid post so that I have someone to crap on, it's entertaining!

 

[Deadpoet]

you are so bloody stupid or cant read english. I asked in my earlier post:

1. Total failure? Cant read at all? Data all lost?
2. Read error at certain times (or sectors), some data could be restored?
3. After-sales support - was the drive replaced free? If not, what was the charges incurred? Was data restored somehow by the service centres?


You dun need to be be an engineer to answer those questions. The purpose is to indicate how badly the failure was (Data loss? All or partial etc?), and how the problem was addressed to give everyone here an idea of what to expect with MD.

How about changing to "Stupidpoet" instead?

If you want to start the "stupid", well, let's go at it!

Can you read? Probably not. I had already addressed everything.

...
it failed on me, cost me bucks to recover the data, and IBM gave me a new drive. And ever since, I am very weary about using the microdrive.

...

First of all, I indicated Ihave to spend money to recover the data. This meant I was not able to read the data on my computer, I guess this meant total failure. Well, I apologise, you are too dense to read deaper and between the lines, guess, everything must be spelled out for you.

Well, as for total data lost, I guess not since I was able to have a data recovery service recover the data.

As for after slaes support, I did indicate that IBM gave me a new microdrive.

Now, I really have to apologise, I did not answer your questions point by point, 1,2,3 ... and I made the assumption you have some intelligence to comprehend.

 

[hifisiao]

You did not mentioned whether it was "total failure" or "partial failure". You wrote "fail on me" cannot be assumed as complete failure and completely inassessible. For example, my hard disk fail on me but I can still sometimes read some data which are not in bad sectors.

You did state how much data was recovered. All? partial? By who? Service centre?

You wrote "IBM give you a new drive" cannot be assumed that it was "replaced free of charge". For example, Creative gave me a new mp3 player but I had to pay a portion of the cost.


So how well have you answered my 3 earlier questions? Unfortunately, not very well and very smart. As readers, we cannot make assumption based on someone's half-fudge writings. In my previous line of work where Service Level Agreement and contracts are drawn, no statements are ever written in a non-authoritative manner which are unclear and leads to assumptions. Your posts are unintelligent, self-assuming and non-constructive. We are not writing poems here ....

Ppl, please continue to provide your feedbacks on your experience with CF and MD. I suggest to ignore "Deadpoet" future postings. He can yak all day to himself for all he wants.
Thank you.

If you want to start the "stupid", well, let's go at it!

Can you read? Probably not. I had already addressed everything.




First of all, I indicated Ihave to spend money to recover the data. This meant I was not able to read the data on my computer, I guess this meant total failure. Well, I apologise, you are too dense to read deaper and between the lines, guess, everything must be spelled out for you.

Well, as for total data lost, I guess not since I was able to have a data recovery service recover the data.

As for after slaes support, I did indicate that IBM gave me a new microdrive.

Now, I really have to apologise, I did not answer your questions point by point, 1,2,3 ... and I made the assumption you have some intelligence to comprehend.

 

[Deadpoet]

You did not mentioned whether it was "total failure" or "partial failure". You wrote "fail on me" cannot be assumed as complete failure and completely inassessible. For example, my hard disk fail on me but I can still sometimes read some data which are not in bad sectors.

You did state how much data was recovered. All? partial? By who? Service centre?

You wrote "IBM give you a new drive" cannot be assumed that it was "replaced free of charge". For example, Creative gave me a new mp3 player but I had to pay a portion of the cost.


So how well have you answered my 3 earlier questions? Unfortunately, not very well and very smart. As readers, we cannot make assumption based on someone's half-fudge writings. In my previous line of work where Service Level Agreement and contracts are drawn, no statements are ever written in a non-authoritative manner which are unclear and leads to assumptions. Your posts are unintelligent, self-assuming and non-constructive. We are not writing poems here ....

Ppl, please continue to provide your feedbacks on your experience with CF and MD. I suggest to ignore "Deadpoet" future postings. He can yak all day to himself for all he wants.
Thank you.

holy sh*t ... for god sake, we are chatting on CS, a forum for like minded photographers ... a causal place where photographers exchange ideas and experience ... where on earth did it stipulate we had to have "Service Level Agreement" and "contracts" .... where all statement must be written in an authoritatve manner ....

I said I had to pay to recover my data and IBM gave me a new microdrive ...

and to hifisiao, go ahead and live in your fake worid where everything is according to contracts, no casual conversation ... lighten up moron, be real, and sorry to disappoint you, I will continue to yak ... wherever other ignore my post, I really do not give a *****, but apparent you do ...

maybe, you are behavng in this irration manner because your panties is pull up between your cheeks ...


to all CSers, sorry for the extreme OT ...

 

[sigg]

is this thread talking about the Seagate CF first impression or the CSers impression of each other?:dunno:

 

[yanyewkay]

is this thread talking about the Seagate CF first impression or the CSers impression of each other?:dunno:

i have no idea that a microdrive can drive up such heat. :dunno:

I guess there are 2 groups in here. MD believers and anti-MDers (for whatever reason)

Some will be sceptical to new technology especially one that is way cheaper and performs almost equally as well. I guess it's some form of sour-grapes. :dunno:

Ok guys.. cool it.. I just wanted to show the speed of the new MD. Just like someone who wanted to show a nice picture in the galleries. We don't need to say "picture is nice, but it's not taken with film" or otherwise. No single technology can please everyone.

This is the "reviews" forum where I posted my review of an 'updated' technology since this new microdrive seems to be penetrating the market very aggressively. With more users of this new MD we can have more feedback.

Before any wants to speculate about heat failure, cracks and bends. Make you sure know what you are talking about before spreading 'what-you-think' thoughts.