Monday, September 8, 2003
The Emergence of SDIO Products
Posted by Janak Parekh in "THOUGHT" @ 12:45 PM
We've been waiting forever, but finally, things are starting to look up for SDIO. Last week, iGolf Technologies announced that they'll have a SDIO-based GPS solution available for both Palm and Pocket PC devices. Coincidentally, I got the toy on the left in the mail today. :mrgreen:
I'll give a detailed review of it later, but initial impressions imply it's similar to CF: you install the drivers, plug it in, and it works. I haven't had time to benchmark it or give you an idea of how it performs rangewise, but the fact is SDIO host devices are now prevalent and the peripherals are becoming available. This might be the beginning of a shift in handheld peripherals.
I do have one concern, and that surrounds the potential fragility of elongated SD solutions. While the Sandisk card feels very sturdy, the fact is that a lot of SD solutions will require something to "stick out" of the slot, whether it be a connector to interface to a device or an antenna, and the thinness might raise some concerns. Compare this to CF, which often has more space for a connector, and if anything sticks out it's thicker and sturdier. What do you think? Are you looking forward to more SDIO solutions, or are you planning to stick with CF for the time being?
I'll give a detailed review of it later, but initial impressions imply it's similar to CF: you install the drivers, plug it in, and it works. I haven't had time to benchmark it or give you an idea of how it performs rangewise, but the fact is SDIO host devices are now prevalent and the peripherals are becoming available. This might be the beginning of a shift in handheld peripherals.
I do have one concern, and that surrounds the potential fragility of elongated SD solutions. While the Sandisk card feels very sturdy, the fact is that a lot of SD solutions will require something to "stick out" of the slot, whether it be a connector to interface to a device or an antenna, and the thinness might raise some concerns. Compare this to CF, which often has more space for a connector, and if anything sticks out it's thicker and sturdier. What do you think? Are you looking forward to more SDIO solutions, or are you planning to stick with CF for the time being?
