Article:		iPod as Digital Photographer's Best Friend
Subject:		RE: It's *slow*
Date:		2003-12-03 05:48:02
From:		anonymous2
Response to: RE: It's *slow*
The users with the most need for secondary photo storage are currently those with a digital SLR. A 512mb or 1gb memory card is a 'must' here. Designing the media reader for 128mb will make it obsolete when the next generation of high-megapixel compact cameras hit the shelves.Even today, using a 5 megapixel compact camera with a 128mb memory card is not optimal. So what do you have now? A device designed for people who infrequently need to store a few pictures. A more sensible choice for those people would be to simply buy a larger 512mb memory card - about the same price and the same capacity as with 4 'belkin uploads'. Sorry, but I do not see this device fulfilling the needs, but for a few select users.

Showing messages 1 through 2 of 2.

• RE: It's *slow*
  2003-12-04 15:26:32  anonymous2 [Reply | View]
  
  
  There is an entire class of digital photographers who would benefit from the Belkin reader - serious amateurs and "prosumers". People who burn through 100-200MB of storage on a typical day of sightseeing and picture-taking. Sure, these people could just get an extra 512MB card for the same price as the Belkin reader, but that card would only last them an extra day. What happens when you go away for a long weekend? Or when you go away on vacation for a week? Or for six weeks as I just was? It is most certainly worth $100 to have an almost limitless supply of image storage and the freedom to leave your laptop at home or not have to shell out an extra $400-500 for a portable storage device like the FlashTrac.
  
  And one last thing, who says the Belkin is designed for 128MB cards? It's more accurate to say that it is designed for users who will only need to clear off their memory cards about once a day - people for whom its not a problem to let their 512MB card upload while they're eating dinner or watching TV. Oh, and one last last thing. Cameras are hitting a practical ceiling for resolution - there is a certain point beyond which extra pixels are pointless, and todays cameras are almost there. IMHO, the ceiling for consumer cameras is 5MP, 10MP for prosumer, and 16MP for professional. So, I don't think you'll see consumer cameras getting much higher in resolution.

• RE: It's *slow*
  2003-12-03 09:12:48  Derrick Story | [Reply | View]
  
  
  Well, I think you made your point. And it seems like you have a plan that works for you. That's great!
  
  For me, I'm not going to throw the Belkin out with the bath water. Upload speed is not *the only* issue for me. If it were, I would not have even bothered with Mac OS X for the first year of its existence.
  
  What I think is interesting, and is the point of this article (as stated in the intro) is how the Belkin transforms the iPod into a new device, that I think is useful for many photographers now, and will only become more so in the future as improvements are made.
  
  I still shoot with 256 MB cards often. I've uploaded data from them to the iPod, and it's fine. I'm a multitasking person and move right to the next thing, such as changing camera batteries, while the files are uploading.
  
  This doesn't work for you. That's cool. I think we've covered this aspect sufficiently so readers can decide what's best for their needs.
  
  Thanks for your posts!