SD Memory Cards...

EDIT: IGN has much more detailed info, so I changed the post and the link.

If you haven\'t heard, Panasonic has deducted the price of its 16MB SD Cards (memory cards for the GC) to $39.95, and its 32MB cards to $60 (EDIT: I\'m sorry. The 64MB cards will be $99.95 ). The 16MB card can hold twice more memory then the conventional PS2 memory card, and costs only $5 more (EDIT: 8MB cards will be around the $30 range). This, in my opinion, could solve GC memory issues like the ones that EA has been having.

But my real question is, could these cards serve as potential cheap, functional hard drives?? (Soft drives, if you will). Panasonic plans to release 512MB cards in early 2002, followed by cards with over GB of space. These should be much cheaper than a hard drive add-on, and if the price of the newest card is too expensive, you can stay with older cards until the price goes down. There\'s also no need to take out any internal units to upgrade your memory space, or dish out extreme amounts of money (as with hard drives).

Link: http://cube.ign.com/news/36552.html

Right now there are IBM MiniDrives that hold 1 gb of data for Digital Cameras. These minidrives are about 1x1x.1 inches A very small card for a lot of space, and run about 500 dollars. By about the 4th generations of GC software, these should be about 50-100 dollars, and will possibly be the standard memory saving device in the next generations. The only problem is, if you drop these drives about 1.5 feet off the ground, onto a solid floor, the drive will probably be entirely busted, as they have so many little parts inside of them.

This is Nintendo\'s alternative to HDD.  It\'s economical, but it\'ll definately lack in quality and durability.  It\'ll probably do better than HDD, at first but after a couple months, my prediction: boom.  But it won\'t effect Nintendo enough to change, Nintendo is just. . .  too. . .  powerful.

Yeah, but if your XBox drops off of a shelf, if the harddrive is broken, your XBox is totaled. While if you just use memory cards, you always are on the go, and never had to worry about loosing your files.

Originally posted by JediMaster
Yeah, but if your XBox drops off of a shelf, if the harddrive is broken, your XBox is totaled. While if you just use memory cards, you always are on the go, and never had to worry about loosing your files.

It\'s all that "on the go" that I\'m worried about!  Recall all the problems memory cards have had in the past.  Now I don\'t know about you, but I don\'t plan on dropping my console on the ground anytime soon.  Mem-cards get passed around like. . . well, you know.  I just don\'t like this idea of high-capasity memory cards.  It\'s eerie and unsettling.

If there was an Smart Card adapter, I would be in heaven. Those cards are so cheap now and hold a whole lotta space, but the adapter would be more expensive to write in the format.

Think of it this way. With a HD in a system and internet access, you can get viruses on your console. Which if MS doesn\'t have any protection againnst it in, like creating a function to wipe the HD, your entire system could be ruined. Since everyone knows the system\'s Mod PIII or the NV25 or whatever its called. The potential to destroy these devices are great. But only since about 10% or less of XBox customers will go online due to the Broadband only status, this shouldn\'t be an overal problem for everyone if it ever happens.

Think of it this way. With a HD in a system and internet access, you can get viruses on your console. Which if MS doesn\'t have any protection againnst it in, like creating a function to wipe the HD, your entire system could be ruined. Since everyone knows the system\'s Mod PIII or the NV25 or whatever its called. The potential to destroy these devices are great. But only since about 10% or less of XBox customers will go online due to the Broadband only status, this shouldn\'t be an overal problem for everyone if it ever happens.

Yeah keep dreaming, Virus from what??? XBOX will not be used to browse the net, so no virus.

SD memory cards cannot replace HDD, Even if you had a 600mb SD card(which would cost you and arm and leg) it still couldn\'t even come close to what a HDD is capable to accomplish in gaming.

Yeah, but if your XBox drops off of a shelf, if the harddrive is broken, your XBox is totaled. While if you just use memory cards, you always are on the go, and never had to worry about loosing your files.

Yeah and if you drop your lunch box it\'s toast as well, what\'s your point. Also did you forget that XBOX will have memory cards as well, for those who wanna take there game files to a friends.

This is Nintendo\'s alternative to HDD

Well then good luck nintendo, would have been better off to just stick a HDD in the thing.

Originally posted by TheOgodlyThing


Yeah keep dreaming, Virus from what??? XBOX will not be used to browse the net, so no virus.

This is BS, whenever you have any kind of device connected to the internet with its own built in storage media, there is a chance for a virus. Someone can fix the XBox to send you a virus during an online game and screw then entire system. I thought even you would know that.

SD memory cards cannot replace HDD, Even if you had a 600mb SD card(which would cost you and arm and leg) it still couldn\'t even come close to what a HDD is capable to accomplish in gaming.

True, because HDs are mainly for storing files to pull them up quicker and lower load times. But the cube doesn\'t need one cus last time I heard... Silicon Knights said they had to delay the load times on parts of ED because you would entered a room faster than you would with a cartridge. Still a HD is a HD and how many games can you fit on a 10 gb HD anyways?

Yeah and if you drop your lunch box it\'s toast as well, what\'s your point. Also did you forget that XBOX will have memory cards as well, for those who wanna take there game files to a friends.

LOL where did you dig this all up. Nintendo products have always been the most durable. My N64 must have been dropped from a 4 foot ledge onto a wood floor about 25 times and it still runs perfect. While a PSX could take little of a beating at all. Also there was an old GameBoy that sat ourside in the mud and rain for 5 years before their dog found it and brought it in. They popped in new batteries and it still ran fine. I was talking about the HD in the XBox. I am saying that the GameCube will be dropped, it might break, but the XBox is much more delicate then the cube.

Well then good luck nintendo, would have been better off to just stick a HDD in the thing.

Umm... No not really at all. The HD would not really benifit the cube in any way with the SD cards for it. Harddrives were built to work with PCs, not consoles. Try and act at least a bit better next time you try and take me down.

Someone can fix the XBox to send you a virus during an online game and screw then entire system. I thought even you would now that

IMG, first off it\'s connected to MS online network which is secured. Sure anything is possible, but what are the chances, they are slim. So your argument is based on a weak foundation to start with.

LOL where did you dig this all up. Nintendo products have always been the most durable. My N64 must have been dropped from a 4 foot ledge onto a wood floor about 25 times and it still runs perfect.

That\'s because nintendo\'s previous products were not CD based, but cart instead. Since the cube has mechanical moving parts it is prone to being damaged very easily.

I am saying that the GameCube will be dropped, it might break, but the XBox is much more delicate then the cube.

LOL, you drop  the GC and XBOX off a table and they are both FU*KED. Besides you argument here is weak again, how many people are going to be dropping there consoles on a daily basis. Plus GC is prone to alot more damages than XBOX, since majority of KIDS will be getting the GC and we all know how children are with there toys.

Umm... No not really at all. The HD would not really benefit the cube in any way with the SD cards for it.

No your right, If the cube had a HDD it wouldn\'t even need the SD cards.

Harddrives were built to work with PCs, not consoles

sigh....you never quit do you SON. Yeah how about I spin this and say microchips, circuit boards, semiconductors, RAM, etc... were built for PC\'s not for consoles, so consoles SUCK. Also a console is in a sense a PC, just that it\'s designed to function and operate for one specific task, TO PLAY GAMES.  

Try and act at least a bit better next time you try and take me down.

Are you really that blind and dumb MR I have a 150 IQ up my ass. It amazes me how far you have gone, and to the great lengths you have probably taken to delude yourself into believing what ever you see fit believe.
Just Incredible!

Originally posted by TheOgodlyThing
LOL, you drop  the GC and XBOX off a table and they are both FU*KED. Besides you argument here is weak again, how many people are going to be dropping there consoles on a daily basis. Plus GC is prone to alot more damages than XBOX, since majority of KIDS will be getting the GC and we all know how children are with there toys.

What a childish and immature argument. Isn\'t the whole "kiddy" argument a little played out? Seriously, regardless of whether the GCN is disk based. The Xbox is more likely to be damaged in a fall than the PS2 and GCN. HDDs in general are not very resistant to shock and seeing as how the Xbox is not using a special HDD their\'s should be no different. Simple as that.

What is with all this dropping and sticking in the mud all about?  If you plan on sticking your console in the mud and dropping it out your second story window then you desrve what\'s coming to you!

Let\'s see, is there a cable, other than power, that goes from the console to the wall?  Yes?  Then a hacker can get to it.  When there is a will, there is a way.  Firewall?  Ha!  Unless you\'re in a "plastic bubble network," you are never immune.

Originally posted by Troglodyte
What is with all this dropping and sticking in the mud all about?  If you plan on sticking your console in the mud and dropping it out your second story window then you desrve what\'s coming to you!

No one plans on it; but the fact of the matter is that it happens. People try to walk in front of you while you are playing and their foot gets caught on the cord pulling everything down. It happens.

What a childish and immature argument. Isn\'t the whole "kiddy" argument a little played out? Seriously, regardless of whether the GCN is disk based. The Xbox is more likely to be damaged in a fall than the PS2 and GCN. HDDs in general are not very resistant to shock and seeing as how the Xbox is not using a special HDD their\'s should be no different. Simple as that.

Nope I disagree. Sure the XBOX has more fragile components but like Ogodly said GC will be a system that majority of kids will own, and KIDS are not very good with keeping there toys in one place. So instead of looking at which system is more fragile, look at who will own the GC to the XBOX. One more thing I\'m sure the kids are going to love to take there lunch box over to there friends place, with GC being a mobile system more instances can take place where the machine can get damaged. I doubt people are going to carry there xbox machine around.

People try to walk in front of you while you are playing and their foot gets caught on the cord pulling everything down. It happens

Really, it seems little miss gohan here forgot that xbox cords detach from the controller. MS did this specifically for the reason you just stated above, so that in case someone does walk by the cord it will not pull down the machine, instead it will de-attach from the controller.

Originally posted by Troglodyte

Let\'s see, is there a cable, other than power, that goes from the console to the wall?  Yes?  Then a hacker can get to it.  When there is a will, there is a way.  Firewall?  Ha!  Unless you\'re in a "plastic bubble network," you are never immune.

Yes but did you forget that the OS is located on the gamedisc, not the system, so how are they going to hack into your HDD. It was said before and I\'ll say it again the chances of anyone being able to hack into XBOX slim, you might as well forget about it. Anything is possible, but don\'t expect to be seeing any of this soon.

A virus has to be executed to cause any damage. I don\'t think with the XBox you\'ll have the ability to activate a virus by accidently clicking on it like you would a PC. Look do you think your going to be able to execute any ole file on an XBox like you would in a Full blown OS??? I don\'t think so. I\'m pretty sure MS is idiot proofing it.

File downloads are off Microsoft servers, perhaps other company servers too (depends on what Microsoft does with Xbox online, we don\'t know yet). The file downloads are NOT off privately run server, free webspace servers, or untouchable servers in foreign countries with no computer laws yet.
    -There\'s anti-virus software running on those servers (probably), for Xbox especially? Or perhaps they don\'t even need it, that they\'re so sure.
    -You need a browser with file download ability, PLUS an OS to execute the program file, to truly give yourself a virus. Or accepting the same file via IRC chat clients or instant messaging or email. Can you do those things on Xbox? No.
   -File downloads could very well be a proprietary "packed" file, not some exe. Stop thinking stupid PC ****.
   -People need to break into Microsoft\'s servers and swap files, or infect their network somehow. HMMMM Microsoft, I wonder how easy that would be? Is it everyday you hear about viruses coming from Microsoft or other large corporations?
    -You don\'t get viruses from just going about, you get them from being STUPID!

It\'s nearly impossibe for someone to put a virus on ur xbox manually and the xbox doesnt have an os on board so it doesnt really matter if u delete dll or ocx\'s (needed files for ur os to run). U cant even access the files. so i really doubt (99.9 1/2% sure) ur gonna get a virus (virii). So there. If you download a map,level, or anything that adds to a game then the virus would have to be executed by the game and that means the developer of the game has to write the virus execution code.Im not a virus writer but it sound a bit far off. Fat chance in other words.

The only way u can get a virus is to download it and click on it. A virus is a ms-dos application. Does the xbox have ms-dos..........uhh i dont think so. Can u get access to all the files on it xbox that r needed for the xbox to run........uhh i dont think so