Microdrive
1739869
225271956
2008-07-12T20:34:19Z
24.185.237.31
/* Applications */ Fixed a sentance that as written is would appear to mean something incorrect. (PCMCIA adapters are definately mere socket adapters, as CF is just a small PCMCIA formfactor)
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:MicroDrive1GB.jpg|thumb|right|200px|IBM 1 GB Microdrive]]
The '''Microdrive''' is a [[brand]] name for a miniature, 1-inch [[hard disk]] designed to fit in a [[CompactFlash]] (CF) Type II slot. The release of similar drives by other makers has led to them often being referred to as 'microdrives'. However, 'microdrive' is not a [[genericized trademark]]<ref>http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/b2b/media_app_systems/release/9297.html
"Microdrive" is a registered trademark of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies
</ref> and manufacturers other than [[IBM]] up to 2003 and [[Hitachi, Ltd.|Hitachi]] after do not officially refer to these drives as Microdrives. Some other companies, such as [[Sony]], have licensed the name and sell re-branded versions.
These drives fit into any [[CompactFlash II]] slot; however, they may consume more power than [[flash memory]] (currents on the order of 190 mA, peak 310 mA, at 3.3 V) and therefore may not work in some low-power devices (e.g. handheld computers). Nevertheless, they have some benefits over flash memory in terms of the way data is stored and manipulated. <!-- such as? --> Microdrives can store 8 [[gigabyte|GB]] or more, but must be [[Disk formatting|formatted]] for a [[file system]] which supports this capacity, such as [[ext3]] or [[NTFS]] which may not be supported by older [[CompactFlash]] hosts. To avoid this problem, it is possible to partition a drive so it will contain a partition less than 4 GB.
==History==
{{Cleanup-section|date=August 2007}}
The Microdrive was developed and launched in [[1999]] by [[IBM]] with a capacity of 170 [[megabyte|MB]], which was expanded to 8 [[gigabyte|GB]] by 2006. They weigh about 16 [[gram (unit)|g]] (~1/2 [[ounce|oz]]), with dimensions of 42.8×36.4×5 [[millimetre|mm]] (1.7×1.4×.2 [[inch|in]]). These were the smallest hard drives in the world at the time. From 1999 to 2003 they were known as '''IBM Microdrives''', and from 2003 as '''Hitachi Microdrives''', when Hitachi bought IBM's hard drive division. Microdrive was a [[registered trademark]] by [[IBM]] and [[Hitachi, Ltd.|Hitachi]] for each period.
IBM initially released a 170 MB and 340 MB model. The next year 512 MB and 1 GB models were announced and became available. In [[December 2002]] Hitachi bought IBM's disk drive business, including the Microdrive technology and brand. By 2003, under Hitachi, bigger 2 GB models came out. Over the years, even larger sizes have become available.
There are licensed branded Sony models called [[Sony Microdrive]]; these are re-badged Hitachi made models.
[[Image:Saegaet wiki.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Seagate 2.5 GB 1" CF Drive]]
In [[2004]] [[Seagate]] launched 2.5 and 5 GB models as well, and tends to refer to them as either 1-inch hard drives, or CompactFlash hard drives due to the trademark issue. In 2005 it launched an 8 GB model as well.
Recently a Chinese manufacturer called GS Magic started marketing small form factor HDDs for CF; it has, however, been sued by Hitachi for patent infringement of the IBM design [http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/business/worldbusiness/05copycat.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&oref=slogin] (as opposed to Seagate, which used its own technology). These drives are generally cheaper and of lower quality than Hitachi and Seagate drives and have received a plethora of bad reviews.*
*A link to the product announcement [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_pwwi/is_200403/ai_mark767788306], but as of yet, The companies website is down, the US distributor said they went out of business in 02/07, and no mention of the lawsuit or the reviews has been found.
==Microdrive models by timeline==
Date of release of large sizes.
{|
|'''1999'''||170 [[megabyte]] (IBM MD170/A)
|-
|'''1999'''||340 megabyte (IBM)
|-
|'''2000'''||512 megabyte, 1 [[gigabyte]] (IBM)
|-
|'''2003'''|| 2 gigabytes (Hitachi)
|-
|'''2004'''|| 4 gigabytes (Hitachi), 2.5 and 5 gigabytes (Seagate)
|-
|'''2005'''|| 8 gigabytes (Hitachi), 8 gigabytes (Seagate)
|-
|'''2006'''|| 8 gigabytes (Hitachi), 8 gigabytes (Seagate)
|-
|'''2007'''|| Hitachi promised a 20-gigabyte microdrive to be released in 2007<ref name=hitachi-20gb>"[http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.f085a4ec7dad63efc0baade1eac4f0a0/?javax.portlet.prp_6454857150dd01efc0baade1eac4f0a0_viewID=content&javax.portlet.prp_6454857150dd01efc0baade1eac4f0a0_docName=20050404.html&javax.portlet.prp_6454857150dd01efc0baade1eac4f0a0_folderPath=%2Fhgst%2Faboutus%2Fpress%2Finternal_news%2F Hitachi lays groundwork for 20-GB Microdrive with century-old technology]", Hitachi, ''Hitachi Global Storage Technologies'', 4 April 2005. Retrieved on [[9 June]] [[2007]].</ref>. As of February 2008, this high-capacity drive is commercially unavailable.<ref name=hitachi-current>"[http://www.hitachigst.com/portal/site/en/menuitem.7ac4c50322419b5daa67bca4bac4f0a0/ Hitachi's high-capacity microdrives]", Hitachi, ''Microdrive 3K8 Product Page''. Retrieved on [[4 February]] [[2008]].</ref>
|-
|'''2008'''|| 8 gigabytes (Hitachi), 8 gigabytes (Seagate)
|}
==Availability==
As of [[2006]] the most commonly-seen microdrives are the smaller sizes, up to 1GB.
Larger (2GB to 8GB) drives, such as the 4GB and 6GB Hitachi models, the 5GB and 8GB Seagate models and the 2.2GB Magicstor drive are also available but are often embedded in [[Pocket hard drive]]s, 'high end' mobile phones, music players, and other entertainment devices. Such embedded devices are far more popular than the loosely-sold Microdrives intended as a CompactFlash card alternative.
In [[USA]] most electronics shops do not sell separate Microdrives as they may find it economically unviable to stock them due to the fast-moving nature of the market, however they are readily available on several websites. But in most developed [[Asia]]n cities such as [[Hong Kong]] and Japan [[Tokyo]], a 8GB version of the Seagate ST1 are selling at the price (as of second quarter 2006) as low as USD220 in retail shops, and under USD50 on [[eBay]]
==Applications==
[[Image:IBM-Microdrive.jpg|thumb|right|200px|IBM 1 GB Microdrive]]
*CF to IDE adaptors and USB card readers enable microdrives to be used in computers, they can then be formatted with any filesystem that the operating system supports such as [[ext3]]. It is even possible to run an operating system directly from the Microdrive. Such a system would be rather sluggish for today's standards but still a viable option for some embedded applications. IDE adaptors are inexpensive as, like the PCMCIA adaptors, they have no integrated circuits.
*Some high capacity [[USB drive]]s are comprised of microdrives with a USB interface; they can often be recognized by a rectangular shape. These devices are sometimes called [[Pocket hard drive]]s. However there is currently a trend for selling desktop PCs with integrated multi-card readers. If this trend continues this could eliminate the need to integrate them into pocket hard drives with USB connections.
*The original [[JVC]] Everio camcorders (GZ-MC200/MC100) utilised 4GB IBM/Hitachi Microdrives as storage instead of the magnetic tape or DVD more commonly seen in products of this type. Current Everio models use the more common 2.5" HDDs.
*Some PDA users use Microdrives to boost the storage capacity of their PDA. The [[LifeDrive]] has an integrated 4 gigabyte microdrive as its main selling point.
*Microdrives are found in the discontinued [[iPod mini]] and [[Creative ZEN|Creative Zen Micro]] [[mp3 player]]s, among others. Companies making such players order the Microdrives in large quantities, which can mean that it is cheaper to buy an mp3 player with an integrated Microdrive than a separate Microdrive to add to an expandable mp3 player. An example is the Creative MuVo; many of these were bought up by those interested in purchasing a Microdrive and stripped for their Microdrive which was then replaced by a lower capacity CompactFlash card.
*When combined with a PCMCIA adaptor and used in a [[laptop]] Microdrives can be a viable alternative to [[USB flash drive]]s purely due to their price. The use of Microdrives over chip-based CF cards is unlikely to make any notable difference to the battery life of the laptop, and any impact that would damage the Microdrive is likely to break other components of the laptop as well. However these devices cannot be used with ordinary desktop PCs unless they are fitted with [[Peripheral Component Interconnect|PCI]] PCMCIA adaptors or CF card readers.
*There are third-party devices intended to let users of the [[Sony PSP]] use memory cards other than [[Memory Stick]]s. Some claim to be compatible with MicroDrives, and some even come with a MicroDrive in the package. However, while such converters work perfectly for other kinds of flash memory ([[Secure Digital card|SD]] and [[CompactFlash]]), it is no longer possible (due to firmware upgrades) to use actual MicroDrives on the PSP. The acceptable timeout delay has been decreased from the first firmware revisions, and as a result loading a game from the hard disk results in a timeout error.
*Many embedded industrial applications and University data-collecting projects
Sometimes when a device with an integrated Microdrive stops working the device is taken apart and stripped of its Microdrive, which is then sold on. Unfortunately, Microdrives taken from such devices may not work in digital cameras. These drives must be accessed using [[Advanced Technology Attachment|ATA]] mode, which is not supported in all devices. Such drives, therefore, do not sell for nearly as much as CF-enabled Microdrives.
===Devices with integrated microdrives===
*[[iPod mini|Apple iPod mini]] - 4GB and 6GB Hitachi (CF mode disabled)
*[[Creative MuVo]] - 4GB Hitachi (CF mode disabled in later models)
*[[Creative ZEN]] [[Creative ZEN#Zen Micro|Micro]] - 5GB/6GB Seagate
*[[Creative ZEN]] [[Creative ZEN#Zen MicroPhoto|MicroPhoto]] - 4GB/8GB Seagate
*[[Dell Digital Jukebox]] 5GB Seagate ST1
*[[Hewlett-Packard]] Photosmart 475 - Unknown (1.5GB available to user)
*[[High Tech Computer Corporation|HTC]] Athena (Dopod U1000, HTC Advantage, T-Mobile Ameo) - 8GB Unknown (most suggest Hitachi)
*[[iriver]] H10 - 5GB and 6GB Seagate
*[[Nokia]] N91 - 4Gb Hitachi
*palmOne [[LifeDrive]] - 4GB Hitachi
*Rio Carbon - [[Seagate ST1]] 5GB
*[[Sharp Zaurus]] Sl-C3000
*Sharp Zaurus Sl-C3100
*Sharp Zaurus Sl-C3200
*Sony NW-A1000 - 6GB Hitachi
*[[TrekStor vibez]] - 8GB/12GB Cornice Dragon
*Olympus M:robe m100 mp3 player
==Advantages of Microdrives==
* Until 2006, Microdrives had higher capacity than CompactFlash cards.
* Microdrives allow more write cycles, an advantage for embedded operating system applications.{{Fact|date=June 2007}}<!--
doesn't wear leveling take care of this issue in modern flash memory?
usually, but A you need to enable it, B the program needs to support it, and C some programs store the application and the data in one file (making it hard to move the data portion without also moving the executable portion)
it's enabled out of the box in the cf card's firmware, and it sees disk blocks, not files.
-->
* Microdrives ''might'' be better at handling power loss in the middle of writing. Flash storage always needs to move some old data around while writing, to ensure the flash's finite write life is consumed equally. A bug in that data-moving algorithm could cause data loss if the card is unplugged at the exact wrong time.{{Fact|date=April 2008}} Data on a magnetic hard drive generally stays put, and hard drive algorithms have many years more experience and testing over Flash.
==Disadvantages of Microdrives==
*As of 2006, Microdrive's capacity advantages were exceeded by CompactFlash cards<ref>[http://www.dpreview.com/news/0609/06092603_sandiskextremelll.asp SanDisk introduces the world’s highest capacity card for professional photographers - the 16-gigabyte SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash]</ref>, and USB flash drives.<ref>[http://www.engadget.com/2006/12/12/corsair-launches-16gb-flash-voyager-drive/ Corsair launches 16GB Flash Voyager drive]</ref>
*Being mechanical devices they are more sensitive to physical shock and temperature changes than flash memory, though in practice they are very robust and manufacturers have added several features to the more recent models to improve reliability.
*A microdrive will generally not survive a 4 foot (1.2 metres) drop onto a hard surface where CF cards can be thrown off high-rise buildings and still function. {{Fact|date=March 2008}} Using a soft packaging (e.g. [[Polystyrene]] foam) can allow survival from a longer drop.
*Newer Microdrives have a mechanism to hold the heads off the platter while the device is not in use. Early IBM models do not have this - when one gently shakes such a drive one can hear the heads click from side to side.
*Microdrives are not as fast as the high-end CompactFlash cards; they generally operate at around 4-6 megabytes per second while high-end CF cards can operate at 45 megabytes per second. This may cause problems for photographers who shoot sequences of large images in rapid succession.
*Not designed to operate at high altitudes (over 10000 feet), but can be safely used on most commercial aircraft as cabins are generally pressurized.
*Outside of the professional photography market, Microdrives have more limited popularity by general consumers because many newer compact cameras lack CF/CF II slots due to the increasing popularity of portable Flash Media.
*Only high capacity models are manufactured, as it is not profitable to make low-capacity Microdrives. At the end of 2005 only capacities above 2 gigabytes are manufactured while 256mb and 512mb CompactFlash cards were still in production. Lower capacities are still readily available second hand on [[eBay]] but these are usually the same price as CF cards of the same size.
*Unlike flash memory, microdrives require power even when no data is being transferred to them to keep the disc spinning. As a result many devices such as the iPod mini leave the drive switched off for most of the time while periodically starting it up to fetch data from it to fill the device's buffer. Microdrives will switch off after idling for more than a few seconds to counter this problem however this means that more time is lost constantly spinning the drive up. This effect would be particularly problematic if an operating system is being run from the drive. However the drive can be forced to stay running if the host device is programmed to write random bits of data to it.
*Certain bus-powered CF card readers lack the power needed to run a microdrive although they do take CF II cards, when using such a device it will usually be detected by the host but errors will occur once the user attempts to access the drive.
*Microdrives also require some time to spin up, this is very low when compared to regular hard drives but not as fast as flash memory.
*Since Microdrives are often integrated in another device this can cause trouble if the drive breaks, it is usually the most fragile component of the device and if the device is out of warranty it can be very difficult to replace the drive
==CF hard drive models by manufacturer==
''Many smaller sized models are no longer offered, as they have been supplanted by [[flash memory]].''
'''IBM MicroDrive (now manufactured by Hitachi)'''
*170 megabyte
*340 megabyte
*512 megabyte
*1 gigabyte
*4 gigabyte
'''Hitachi MicroDrive'''
*512 megabyte
*1 gigabyte
*2 gigabyte
*3 gigabyte
*4 gigabyte
*6 gigabyte
*8 gigabyte
''IBM and Hitachi models fitted with 128 [[kilobyte|KB]] of cache memory''
'''GS Magic'''
*2.2 gigabyte [[AT Attachment|ATA]], [[USB]](NATIVE), & CF variants
*3 gigabyte ATA
*4 gigabyte ATA & CF variants
'''Seagate ST1'''
*2.5 gigabyte
*4 gigabyte
*5 gigabyte
*6 gigabyte
*8 gigabyte
''These Seagate models are fitted with 2 [[Megabyte|MB]] of [[cache memory]]''
'''Sony Compact Vault'''
*2 gigabyte (rebadged Hitachi)
*4 gigabyte (rebadged Hitachi)
*5 gigabyte
*8 gigabyte
'''Cornice'''
*4 gigabyte
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See also==
* [[PC Card]] - [[CompactFlash]] - Microdrive - [[MultiMediaCard]] - [[Secure Digital Card]] - [[Memory Stick]] - [[xD-Picture Card]] - [[SmartMedia]]
*[[Digital cameras]]
*[[Digital camera memory media]]
==External links==
*[http://www.mp3newswire.net/stories/2001/microdrive.html Review: IBM's 1GB Microdrive] - Review on [[MP3 Newswire]]
*[http://www.hitachigst.com/ Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST)]
*[http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/storage/display/seagate-st1-5gb.html Review of Seagate ST1 5 GB 1-inch hard disk for CF]
{{Memory Cards}}
[[Category:Computer storage devices]]
[[Category:IBM hardware]]
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