microSDXC, SDXC, and mixed configurations

[FaeMinx]

I don't mind pnds at all. But it would be nice to have a full blown unrestricted OS.


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[Nintendo]

What do you mean by unrestricted?

 

[bismuthdrummer]

I don't mind pnds at all. But it would be nice to have a full blown unrestricted OS.


Sent from my HTC Sensation Z710e using Tapatalk 2

What do you mean by unrestricted?

What do pnd's and unrestricted OS have to do with SD configuration? :huh:

 

[diligentcircle]

Whats wrong with .pnd? It seems ideally suited to removable primary disks.

It works fine for its purpose, which is having programs stored on separate media from the medium the OS is stored on, but it's just not normal Unix behavior to do it like that. A regular Unix filesystem has tons of different programs that interface with and depend on each other in a standard way, and this is just not easy at all with the PND system, where each program is self-contained and expected to run on its own (a behavior much more like what's expected on Windows).

 

[FaeMinx]

^ What he said.


You can't tell me that our current os doesn't feel restricted by the size of the NAND?


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[NiGame]

I was actually meaning it would be good to have 3 external slots, 1 full size two mini. No need for any internal nand. I also don't see the need for an internal card as if it is changeable, you may as well have the ability to change it easily, maybe for those who have multiple OSs or even firmware versions.

 

[Binky]

1 full size two mini

Id prefer two full size, with or without a micro/mini

 

[FaeMinx]

I also wouldn't mind if all slots are external. I'm not an idiot after all. My preference would be two full SD and one microSD... Though the micro, the os slot, should have a cover at the very least.


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[FaeMinx]

the cheapest option

One internal microSD and a USB 3 port only?


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[Binky]

Actually, a lone 4GB NAND chip might be cheaper...

 

[Exophase]

Actually, a lone 4GB NAND chip might be cheaper...

It may or may not be cheaper to buy. Whoever makes SD cards is buying millions of NAND chips probably directly from the manufacturer and is selling them in a high volume, extremely competitive market. OPT would have to buy the same NAND chips in low volume and most likely from distributors who have overhead, and even though they amortize volume to some extent they still tend to keep part stocks in the thousands. So despite not paying for the controller, PCB, packaging, and assembly an SD card manufacturer pays for it might not be cheaper.


The SD could have several other price benefits too. The SD manufacturer probably has more thorough testing that lowers infant mortality failure rate, and for components that do fail replacing the SD is cheaper. It's also cheaper to program the SD cards - the NAND has to be done on the Pandora and making a rig that programs a bunch of them in parallel would probably be pretty expensive, while programming a bunch of SD cards in parallel would be relatively cheap and easy, and doesn't have to be done on a completed Pandora.


The one thing OPT will have to be careful with, if they use an internal SD slot, is that returns must have the original SD card (if one is included, which of course I think should be the case) and not some replacement. That's one reason why I don't think that they should make it easy to access or encourage replacing it.

 

[Grench]

The one thing OPT will have to be careful with, if they use an internal SD slot, is that returns must have the original SD card (if one is included, which of course I think should be the case) and not some replacement. That's one reason why I don't think that they should make it easy to access or encourage replacing it.

Mmmm. No.


They should actually require the user to -remove- the 'stock' card before sending the unit for RMA.


If OpenPandora then find that the unit is fine under a 'stock' card, they should give the customer the choice between buying a replacement 'stock' (cheapish) card or re-installing the OS on their existing card via provided instructions. Stock cards themselves should be viewed as 'disposable'. I.e. they would be worth less than the postage to send one in for RMA and back to the user.


I -never- RMA -any- electronic item with it's storage in it. You should always pull the hard drive before doing an RMA on a computer.


For handheld devices with built in NAND, if possible, I do a hard 'factory reset' then fill the NAND with garbage a few times over to overwrite it.


Of course, if you have Apple devices you're SOL on removing the storage - and SOL on protecting your data.


If I can't properly 'clean' a device and have any concerns over what may or may not have been on it, I put it in my scrap pile and it goes through a metal shreader rather than RMA.


Being able to remove the system 'drive' from the device before sending it for RMA is a GOOD thing. It protects the consumer and OpenPandora from the liability of shipping and housing end user data.

 

[Exophase]

Companies are accepting your RMAed computers with the harddrives missing? Are you kidding me? These aren't harddrives you added yourself are they? I tried RMAing a computer once, that had its video card replaced (I forgot) and they didn't accept it. Nor should they have.


I personally do NOT think OPT should be in the habit of viewing pre-installed SD cards as disposable.

 

[Grench]

Companies are accepting your RMAed computers with the harddrives missing?

Yes. And the repaired or replaced unit is shipped back to me without the drive as well. If processed for a return, I expect to, and do, get charged a restocking fee as well as for a replacement drive.

Are you kidding me?

Not a bit.

These aren't harddrives you added yourself are they?

Nope.

I tried RMAing a computer once, that had its video card replaced (I forgot) and they didn't accept it.

You, were attempting to defraud them and 'forgot' to remove it, or 'forgot' that you had violated your warranty?

Nor should they have.

You're right there - so, why did you send it in if you knew you had violated the warranty?

The most shocking thing? Buying a 'remanufactured' computer and finding out that the drive has the personal information of the previous owner who RMA'd it still live, accessible, and all of the software registered to them. Never, ever, trust the return process to DOD delete/overwrite your data for you.

I personally do NOT think OPT should be in the habit of viewing pre-installed SD cards as disposable.

You have said yourself that the 'stock' cards should/would be inexpensive. I agree.


Currently 'cheap' but fast SD media in the 'big enough for an OS load' on a card:


http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-Flash-Memory-SDSDX-016G-X46/dp/B0037FLUYU


At $12 a card now, by 2014 they will likely be cheaper in bulk than the postage required to send one out. My best guess would be somewhere in the $5 a card in bulk range - hard to predict exactly of course.


Personally, if I got a Pandora 2 with that 16GB card in it, I'd put in a 128GB+ card, copy the OS to it, then put the original 'stock' card in the binder that I keep my 'stock' and 'backup' OS media from the rest of my computers and let it grow dust until I needed it again.

 

[Exophase]

You, were attempting to defraud them and 'forgot' to remove it, or 'forgot' that you had violated your warranty?

Yes, I was attempting to defraud them when I forgot I upgraded their shitty SiS video card to a TNT and almost gave them the TNT. When I was 15.


You assume some really vile things about people.


Too irritated with you to bother with anything else you've posted right now.

 

[Grench]

Before your edit:

You, were attempting to defraud them and 'forgot' to remove it, or 'forgot' that you had violated your warranty?

Yes, I was attempting to defraud them when I forgot I upgraded their shitty SiS video card to a TNT and almost gave them the TNT. When I was 15.


Fuck you Grench.

After your edit:

You, were attempting to defraud them and 'forgot' to remove it, or 'forgot' that you had violated your warranty?

Yes, I was attempting to defraud them when I forgot I upgraded their shitty SiS video card to a TNT and almost gave them the TNT. When I was 15.


You assume some really vile things about people.


Too irritated with you to bother with anything else you've posted right now.

Breathe, count to 10 - then reply.


Reply, count to 10, re-reply bites sometimes.

 

[Exophase]

Wow, you saw that before the edit but took quite a while to reply. In that case I guess there's no point, I'll just stick with the original.


Fuck you, Grench. Really, you're an asshole.

 

[bismuthdrummer]

Breathe, count to 10 - then reply.


Reply, count to 10, re-reply bites sometimes.

QFT from a total pro!!


Hope your heavy breathing while forum trolling means you're at least having fun.

 

[Grench]

Wow, you saw that before the edit but took quite a while to reply. In that case I guess there's no point, I'll just stick with the original.


Fuck you, Grench. Really, you're an asshole.

The time in there was me deciding whether I really wanted to do that to you or not. I guess I chose correctly as it gave voice to your feelings and intentions. This has become an emotional 'fight' for you rather than a technical debate. That isn't healthy.


As my opponent in the SD/microSD debate has resorted to profanity and name calling rather than arguing the merits or flaws of types of hardware under various usage scenarios, it's time to stop.


I'm going to declare victory of SD over microSD in this debate and cease replying to him.


I hope none of the people silently eating popcorn in the background are too disappointed.

 

[Exophase]

Grench, bug off. I'm all too happy to have a technical debate with you but you will just not stop making things personal. I could hardly post anything without you saying that I just care about what's good for my emulators or I'm just bitter that others are willing to spend money on 1GHz Pandoras or that I love everything Apple or whatever else you feel to attack my motive or character. Calling me a LIAR when I said I forgot to replace the video card was the final straw. My response has nothing to do with microSD or SD and you know it.


Grow up.