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Image Tank vs X-Drive

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Greg Collins

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Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between the Image Tank and the X-Drive.

Links:
X-Drive: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/xdrivdigphot.html
Image Tank: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/imagetank.html

Mainly I'm intested in the follow:

1. How long is battery life on both?

2. Does the IT LCD screen provide any useful info over the lack of one on the XD?
3. Is the external battery clumbsy and/or annoying?
4. How useful is the carrying case that comes with the IT?
a. Can it attach to your belt? And would you want to do that?
b. Can you operate it (i.e. download) while in the case?
5. How easy is it to install swap the drive?
6. Is there a difference in customer support?
7. How does card-to-drive download speed compare?

Thanx,
Greg
 
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.
Click to expand...
The X-Drive is very new and probably doens't have nearly as large a user base as the Image Tank. And I'd think it's unlikely that someone would own both and Image Tank and X-drive devices to have made a (detailed) comparison.
I use an Image Tank. My answers are:
Greg Collins said:
1. How long is battery life on both?
Click to expand...
No idea (because of reasons above)
Greg Collins said:
2. Does the IT LCD screen provide any useful info over the lack of
one on the XD?
Click to expand...
I like the LCD on the IT. I find it somewhat helpful, but cryptic.
Greg Collins said:
3. Is the external battery clumbsy and/or annoying?
Click to expand...
I use the car cord and AC adaptor 99.9% of the time.
Greg Collins said:
4. How useful is the carrying case
that comes with the IT?
Click to expand...
I have seen it but not used it. I use a point-and-shoot camera case that has a compartment that holds the AC adaptor and car cord. The IT case has no such pouch.
Greg Collins said:
a. Can it attach to your belt? And would you want to do that?
Click to expand...
Don't know. I wouldn't want to. But my Point-and-shoot case will attach to my belt. I'd get one of those even if I had the case that comes with/is an option for the Image Tank.
Greg Collins said:
b. Can you operate it (i.e. download) while in the case?
Click to expand...
Yes. Raise a small flap covering the USB port. The buttons for control are under a transparent soft plastic window.
Greg Collins said:
5. How easy is it to install swap the drive?
Click to expand...
If you can use a small phillips screw-driver and follow instructions it's easy. Otherwise let someone else do it. It will require formatting after installation (and perhaps partitioning before formatting depending on your operating sytem.)
Greg Collins said:
6. Is there a difference in customer support?
Click to expand...
Tech support for the I/T is in Taiwan. Translation seems to take awhile and they seem to not fully understand your inquiry(s)
Greg Collins said:
7. How does card-to-drive download speed compare?
Click to expand...
They're both USB so there shouldn't be much difference.

I have heard that there'll be a new Image Tank out later in the year with USB 2.0 (480Kb/sec) that will, of course, be faster.
--
Mike Flood
 
Hi Greg,

I have an Image Tank with the Power Bank which I bought from Power-in-Numbers (Australia). I recently went on a three week vacation with my girlfriend and we took 3000 photos between us for a total size of 2.5GB. The Power Bank did not need recharging once. I think the internal battery for the X-Drive is not so powerful as the PB so I don't know if that would last as long. I didn't find the external battery to be a problem.

The LCD on the IT doesn't give a lot of information so the lack of one on the XD is probably not an issue.

Andy.
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.

Links:
X-Drive: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/xdrivdigphot.html
Image Tank: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/imagetank.html

Mainly I'm intested in the follow:

1. How long is battery life on both?
2. Does the IT LCD screen provide any useful info over the lack of
one on the XD?
3. Is the external battery clumbsy and/or annoying?
4. How useful is the carrying case that comes with the IT?
a. Can it attach to your belt? And would you want to do that?
b. Can you operate it (i.e. download) while in the case?
5. How easy is it to install swap the drive?
6. Is there a difference in customer support?
7. How does card-to-drive download speed compare?

Thanx,
Greg
Click to expand...
 
1. What do you estimate the battery life has been on your PB? Do you think the 8hr claim is valid?

2. What kind of info do you actually get on the LCD screen?
Andrew Harvey said:
I have an Image Tank with the Power Bank which I bought from
Power-in-Numbers (Australia). I recently went on a three week
vacation with my girlfriend and we took 3000 photos between us for
a total size of 2.5GB. The Power Bank did not need recharging once.
I think the internal battery for the X-Drive is not so powerful as
the PB so I don't know if that would last as long. I didn't find
the external battery to be a problem.

The LCD on the IT doesn't give a lot of information so the lack of
one on the XD is probably not an issue.

Andy.
Click to expand...
 
I can't make an absolute yes statement because I would need to do my own tests before I stick my neck out that far but in my estimation, 8 hours can't be far off.

There are three icons and one progress bar. The icons all flash when the unit is switched on and booting up. When the unit has booted one icon shows that the hard drive is ready, the two other icons show SM or CF status (depending on which you have inserted). When you press the respective button the HD and SM or CF icons flash and the progress bar goes from 0 to 100 in five segments. There is no indication of HD space used or free but with the 20GB drive I have fitted it is very unlikely the average user would fill it to capacity before being able to hook up to a PC somewhere. You can also fit larger drives if you need extra capacity or even carry a spare HD and swap it out if needed.

Andy.
Greg Collins said:
2. What kind of info do you actually get on the LCD screen?
Andrew Harvey said:
I have an Image Tank with the Power Bank which I bought from
Power-in-Numbers (Australia). I recently went on a three week
vacation with my girlfriend and we took 3000 photos between us for
a total size of 2.5GB. The Power Bank did not need recharging once.
I think the internal battery for the X-Drive is not so powerful as
the PB so I don't know if that would last as long. I didn't find
the external battery to be a problem.

The LCD on the IT doesn't give a lot of information so the lack of
one on the XD is probably not an issue.

Andy.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Greg-

see my answers below:
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.

Links:
X-Drive: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/xdrivdigphot.html
Image Tank: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/imagetank.html

Mainly I'm intested in the follow:

1. How long is battery life on both?
Click to expand...
On my IB, I am able to get 6x1GB downloads from my Microdrive on 1 set of AA batteries. I consider this exceptional.
Greg Collins said:
2. Does the IT LCD screen provide any useful info over the lack of
one on the XD?
Click to expand...
Just enough info to determine 1) what is % complete 2) is the unit fully operational 3) are there any errors
Greg Collins said:
3. Is the external battery clumbsy and/or annoying?
Click to expand...
Could use a little work, but it works just fine.
Greg Collins said:
4. How useful is the carrying case that comes with the IT?
Click to expand...
It is useful, because it holds the AA batteries.
Greg Collins said:
a. Can it attach to your belt? And would you want to do that?
Click to expand...
I suppose you could.
Greg Collins said:
b. Can you operate it (i.e. download) while in the case?
Click to expand...
Most definitely.
Greg Collins said:
5. How easy is it to install swap the drive?
Click to expand...
Extremely simple. I believe there is a FAQ web page that was referenced here a few months back.
Greg Collins said:
6. Is there a difference in customer support?
Click to expand...
No idea.
Greg Collins said:
7. How does card-to-drive download speed compare?
Click to expand...
No idea. My IB takes about 14 minutes to copy a full 1GB microdrive.
Greg Collins said:
Thanx,
Greg
Click to expand...
--
------------------------------
Andy Biggs
http://www.andybiggs.com
 
A bit of a right up I did sometime back on the IB

http://208.231.0.96/bedpan/IB/

Mike
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.

Links:
X-Drive: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/xdrivdigphot.html
Image Tank: http://store.yahoo.com/insidecomputer/imagetank.html

Mainly I'm intested in the follow:

1. How long is battery life on both?
2. Does the IT LCD screen provide any useful info over the lack of
one on the XD?
3. Is the external battery clumbsy and/or annoying?
4. How useful is the carrying case that comes with the IT?
a. Can it attach to your belt? And would you want to do that?
b. Can you operate it (i.e. download) while in the case?
5. How easy is it to install swap the drive?
6. Is there a difference in customer support?
7. How does card-to-drive download speed compare?

Thanx,
Greg
Click to expand...
 
As per the printamax site, the Xdrive has a built in rechargable LiIon battery. It should be able to make use of an external battery pack as well.

http://www.printamax.com.sg/html/compare.html

The Xdrive is suppose to be quicker (2.5x) copying from media to the HD, and will also function as a card reader when attached to the PC..
Pui said:
ck2002 said:
seems to be selling the xdrive and another new model...
US$209 with shipping...
anybody?

ck
willemd said:
http://www.insidecomputer.com/digital_storage_comparison_chart.htm

Regards,

Willem
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
 
Mike Russell said:
http://www.printamax.com.sg/html/compare.html

The Xdrive is suppose to be quicker (2.5x) copying from media to
the HD, and will also function as a card reader when attached to
the PC..

The download spped is very crucial for me as I will be walking around and moving from places to places a lot. If I buy the Xdrive, this will be one of main reasons.
Pui said:
ck2002 said:
seems to be selling the xdrive and another new model...
US$209 with shipping...
anybody?

ck
willemd said:
http://www.insidecomputer.com/digital_storage_comparison_chart.htm

Regards,

Willem
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I would not count on the advertised 2.5x faster... As long as its faster thats all that counts :-)

Mike
Pui said:
Mike Russell said:
http://www.printamax.com.sg/html/compare.html

The Xdrive is suppose to be quicker (2.5x) copying from media to
the HD, and will also function as a card reader when attached to
the PC..

The download spped is very crucial for me as I will be walking around and moving from places to places a lot. If I buy the Xdrive, this will be one of main reasons.
Pui said:
ck2002 said:
seems to be selling the xdrive and another new model...
US$209 with shipping...
anybody?

ck
willemd said:
http://www.insidecomputer.com/digital_storage_comparison_chart.htm

Regards,

Willem
Greg Collins said:
Can someone spell out a simplistic comparison of advatages between
the Image Tank and the X-Drive.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
 
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