Not a problem at all Shel. It's just that you started out with a blanket
statement "Microdrives don't work well", and I thought that was a misleading
assertion.
For many people they work just fine. It is good to know their altitude
limitations, as you said. I don't work as well at 10,000 ft either.
It's the same specification as for computers and laptop PC's in general,
most any device containing a hard drive.
Tom C.
From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net
To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net
Subject: RE: CF card: normal or Microdrive?
Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 09:39:03 -0700
Which was exactly the point of the post. Some people don't know about the
limitations of the drives, and many people who live at lower elevations
take trips and vacations into the mountains. In many parts of the world
that means elevations above 9000 feet. Just driving around the western
part of the US puts you at higher elevations frequently. I believe
Thibouille lives in or near a mountainous area and the post was a heads-up
if he does and is considering using a microdrive. You seem to have a
problem with my posting the information.
Shel
> [Original Message]
> From: Tom C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> So don't use it in those applications... that specification does not
equate
> with 'don't work well'.
>
> For you who lives essentially at sea level, it wouldn't be a problem.
>
> Luminous Landscape has an article regarding microdrive usage.
>
> http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/4gb-hitachi.shtml
>
> Tom C.
>
>
>
> >From: "Shel Belinkoff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Reply-To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net
> >To: pentax-discuss@pdml.net
> >Subject: RE: CF card: normal or Microdrive?
> >Date: Tue, 24 May 2005 08:47:13 -0700
> >
> >Microdrives don't work well, and may even fail to work, at high
altitudes,
> >above 9,000 feet.
> >
> >From IBM:
> >
> >"The Microdrive does need "AIR" to float the heads and typically above
> >10,000 ft the mass of the air is too low and the drive requires a
> >pressurized environment similar to an aircraft or spacecraft. At high
> >altitude the air bearings begin to loose support from the air molecules
> >needed to provide the "air bearing" for the Negative Air Bearing
Surface
> >(NABS) design of the head. If this "air bearing" is removed or lowered
(as
> >is the case with low density air at high altitudes) the head damages
the
> >media and you could have loss of data. The drive is vented to maintain
> >equal pressure inside and outside to provide the air and to maintain
the
> >same pressure. This eliminates the need for sealed and rigid covers
that
> >can tolerate pressure differences.
> >
> >The OEM Functional specification defines the warranty range for
operating
> >altitude as 3,000 M or 9,000 ft (3ft/M) ...."
> >
> >Shel
> >
> >
> > > >From: Thibouille
> >
> > > >I guess normal is:
> > > >* faster ?
> > > >* less power consumption
> > > >
> > > >while Microdrive is:
> > > >* cheaper :D
> > > >
> > > >While I'm at it, does High Speed card really matter in a D/Ds? Or
is
> > > >it only useful when reading back in a card reader on the Computer?
> >
> >
>
