Re: Weird Memory

Anthony J Stieber <anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>

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Date: Thu, 24 Feb 94 16:15 PST
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From: Anthony J Stieber <anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <zoomer-list@grot.starconn.com>
Subject: Re: Weird Memory
Status: OR

-> Date: Wed, 23 Feb 94 15:44 PST
-> From: Hal Work <halw@hpwrce.mayfield.hp.com>

-> I recently purchased a simple Technology 1M pcmcia memory card from 
-> Fry's Electronics in Palo Alto, CA, for $129.  Great deal, I thought.
-> When I inserted and formatted the card, it showed only 513K avaiable.
-> I went back and tried several other of the same card with the same
-> results.  They took one of the cards and formatted it in a Newton
-> and it was OK.  What's the deal?  I talked with the technical support
-> people (Bill) at ST and he figured it was a bad card at first.  He
-> was mystified when I called him back about all the cards I tried.  I

What that a SRAM or flash memory card?  Newton compatible flash memory
cards are Intel memory mapped style, while Zoomer compatible flash
memory cards are SunDisk IDE style.  Has Simple Technology actually
tested their 1MB card (or others) in a Zoomer?  It could be that they,
like a couple other companies, are selling exclusively for the not
quite standard PCMCIA Newton MessagePad.  The problems could also be
compounded by the Zoomer which might not be be standard either.  The
card might simply have been formatted on a Newton MessagePad earlier.
The main and attribute memory in most SRAM cards can be erased by
pulling the backup battery out for a few seconds.  A few cards might
need as much as half an hour due to the presence of an on board backup
battery or capacitor.
-- 
Anthony Stieber anthony@csd4.csd.uwm.edu | Do you need a Unix/Netware/MS-DOS
ftp://csd4.csd.uwm.edu/pub/Portables     | MS-Windows/Macintosh/portable 
laptop,palmtop,PCMCIA,wireless archive   | computing expert?  Resume available.