Hyperdrive Mini - Vaporware?

Quite honestly I don't really understand all the fuss about this battery or that battery, etc... As long as the product works reliably given the battery choice that was made, it should not be that big of a issue.

Originaly people touted CompactDrives use of AA cells because you could go out and buy Alkaline cells and use them in a pinch. We know know that isn't really practical because Alkaline cells will only last maybe 2 or 3Gig of transfer at best, now I guess how much of a pinch you are in, may determin how practical this is, but if you've got a 4GB flash card, it's clearly not practical...

So, now you can choose between NiMH AA rechargables or Lithium based non rechargable... But you'll probably be hard pressed finding Lithium based non rechargalbes at some remote drug store in nowheresville wherever... But if you plan ahead and take the approprete batteries and/or chargers with you, the choice of AA cells is perfectly fine.

On the ohterhand... Many common devices, phones, PDAs, PSDs, cameras, etc... that all use LiPo rechargables. Many of these devices have built in charging systems, and some merely require a DC voltage input from say 5-30 volts in order to 'charge' their batteries. I personaly have had very good sucsess with many such devices... I've got a Sony TRV900 that I've owned for about 4 years now, and the origianl LiIon battey that came with it is still working just fine. The only LiIon battery I've owned in the past 4 years that has died completly is a cheapo BP511 nockoff... The original Canon BP511 that came with my DRebel still works just fine after two years of use. The main bennifit to LiPo is size and weight per mAh supplied in a rechargable battery.

Bottom line for me... the choice of battery a PSD uses is not at the top of my list of items I look for when shoping for the ultimate device for my needs.

21st Hermit said:

I've got my eye of a new Canon A700, if I get it I'll be using
Lithium batteries, not NiMH.

Hermit

21st Hermit said:

BJN wrote:
I suspect that most people who carry a PSD don't actually use it on
even a weekly basis. NiMH loses charge quite rapidly so you have to
keep up a frequent charging regimen to keep a PSD charged and
ready. Lithium ion has much longer charge retention and is better
suited for a device that you're going to use intermittently.

Perhaps they could be coaxed into offering two models. The
engineering was already done for the Li-ion version.

--
BJN

Click to expand...

--
Lost in the Colorado Mountains!!!

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When I first heard about the mini I returned my just purchased iNOI (Argosy) HD182 20GB PSD, believing that the additional features of the mini - transfer speed and HD capacity - were worth waiting for. As the release date slipped from January to February to ?? and the specifications remained in flux, I was forced to reconsider. I repurchased an iNOI http://www.inoi.com/English/hd182.asp and have been using it successfully for the last month.

The downside is that the iNOI is only available as a 20GB device and is slower than the claimed speed of the mini, downloading a full Kingston standard 512MB CF card in slightly under 6 minutes. I usually alternate between two 512MB CF cards, downloading one on the iNOI while shooting with the other. By the time I have filled a card with 60+ shots (Canon 300D RAW) the other card is downloaded and ready. Since I rarely shoot more than 2400 photographs on an outing, the 20GB limitation is also a non-issue.

The upside is that the iNOI is readily available at your local Best Buy, is slightly smaller than the mini (64mm x 98mm x 20mm vs. the mini's 65 x 116 x 19), is available from several online retailers, is well designed and well made, is available for under USD $180, time and date stamps folders, is available today, works flawlessly, and is not vaporware.

The iNOI is not an MP3 player, but I question the advisability of taking the results of the day's shoot to the beach or for a run when other options are available. For anyone who is looking for a mini like PSD now, I believe the iNOI is worth consideration.

Joe:

How effective is the Argosy battery?
How is the battery recharged?

My concern is travelling and taking photos for a few weeks I don't want to have to only recharge through a computer.

Thanks.

Mark

This thing is pretty useless...
"(approximately 2GB of backup with fully charged battery)"

How can I backup my 4GB card?

--
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.

I would be in favor of Li-Ion if there would be some standardised format. But there is not, and now I greatly welcome equipment powered by NiMH. I have not had problems with self discharge.

If all my stuff were Li-Ion, think about the amount of chargers I would have to take with me on trips: 1st camera, second camera (different brand), PSD, cellphone, GPS, razor, torch, mp3 player. I try to standardize as much as possible on equipment that uses AA or AAA batteries.

markpsf said:

How effective is the Argosy battery?

Click to expand...

It is rated to download 3gb on a charge. The most I have had occasion to download at any time was five 512mb standard speed CF cards. At that point the HD182 still showed remaining power.

markpsf said:

How is the battery recharged?

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It can be charged with the included AC charger which measures roughly 1" X 1 1/2" X 2 1/4" or via the USB cable attached to a computer.

Well... again, if the product is designed reasonably well, the charger can be built right into the device, all you need is a DC voltage source.

While standardized Li-Ion would be nice, it also makes it more difficult for the designers. Many of todays products get their size/shape/weight advantages by using batteries that are designed with that perticular product in mind. It's difficult to do that with a standard battery.

JHaagsma said:

I would be in favor of Li-Ion if there would be some standardised
format. But there is not, and now I greatly welcome equipment
powered by NiMH. I have not had problems with self discharge.

If all my stuff were Li-Ion, think about the amount of chargers I
would have to take with me on trips: 1st camera, second camera
(different brand), PSD, cellphone, GPS, razor, torch, mp3 player. I
try to standardize as much as possible on equipment that uses AA or
AAA batteries.

Click to expand...

Okay okay....the Argosy is slower and the battery life is lower.

Is the HD-80 only nominally heavier and larger?

How reliable is it?

Still "weighing" the options!

Mark

markpsf said:

Okay okay....the Argosy is slower and the battery life is lower.

Click to expand...

By a long way ;-)

markpsf said:

Is the HD-80 only nominally heavier and larger?

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"Nominally"? I don't understand what you're asking.

markpsf said:

How reliable is it?

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There's lots of threads about the PD70X/HD80 here, decide for yourself. Mine has been totally reliable, downloads my SD cards in a couple of minutes per GB, and can fill my current 30GB drive with a single charge, and plenty to spare. I can't fault it.

--
John Bean

PAW 2006 Week 9:



Iindex page: http://waterfoot.smugmug.com
Latest walkabout (6 March): http://waterfoot.smugmug.com/gallery/1259425

You might consider the Nexto-CF if weight is a conern. It's not as heavy or big as the HD-80, yet just as fast if not faster and has comperable battery life too.

markpsf said:

Okay okay....the Argosy is slower and the battery life is lower.

Is the HD-80 only nominally heavier and larger?

How reliable is it?

Still "weighing" the options!

Mark

Click to expand...

Thanks Glenn.

The Nexto appears to be for CF cards only and I use SD cards.
I could get an adapter I guess but then why not just go with the HD-80.

Mark

Your still promoting the Nexto Huh.. Seriously Are you still happy with it? And I am thinking of getting a second PSD and thought of goving the Nexto a chance But have not heard much of them in a while and the HD80 and PD70X are all on backorders.. Makes me wonder if the Nexto is all that good?
Thanks,
Snook
--
1DsMII,5D,PB17',G5 D2.0---> Shooting RAW (Ofcourse)
http://homepage.mac.com/ekphotography/2006/

I am not sure what the size issue is with the HD80 unless you want to keep it in your shirt pocket, and have the need to play MP3's while you shoot.

I use mine in the case, on my belt with the slot up and just open the flap, put the card in and in a minute my 512 card is backed up and I am off shooting again. It works great, lasts quite a long time (five 512 cards is all I have done at once), as I have never had the batteries run out of power and downloads are reasonably fast.

Tom
--



'The difference between genius and stupidity is genius has its limits.'

• Albert Einstein

Of course I'm still happy with my Nexto-CF.

Why would the sucsess of HD80 mean the Nexto-CF is not all that good? I'm sure you've heard of many other instances where good products don't sell as good as other products... Or, heck maybe back orders are due to production problems with the HD80 or somehting...

Snook said:

Your still promoting the Nexto Huh.. Seriously Are you still happy
with it? And I am thinking of getting a second PSD and thought of
goving the Nexto a chance But have not heard much of them in a
while and the HD80 and PD70X are all on backorders.. Makes me
wonder if the Nexto is all that good?
Thanks,
Snook
--
1DsMII,5D,PB17',G5 D2.0---> Shooting RAW (Ofcourse)
http://homepage.mac.com/ekphotography/2006/

Click to expand...

If all you shoot is SD, then perhaps you are just as well off with a PD70X... Size and weight seemed to be a concern of yours, and you didn't mention that you only shoot SD, so that's why I suggested you consider a Nexto-CF, since it is smaller and lighther then the PD70X, and not that much bigger then the hyperdirve mini is/was suposed to be.

markpsf said:

Thanks Glenn.

The Nexto appears to be for CF cards only and I use SD cards.
I could get an adapter I guess but then why not just go with the
HD-80.

Mark

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