[bookport] Re: FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
- From: buhrow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Brian Buhrow)
- To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 26 Oct 2005 20:11:54 -0700
For what it's worth, I'm using PNY cards.
-Brian
On Oct 26, 9:29pm, "David Tanner" wrote:
} Subject: [bookport] Re: FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
} I think you are probably on the right track there. I have also had good luck
with PNY, but not so sure about the rest. I have never used a Kingston CF
card, but with the number of years they have been in the memory field I would
guess that they are pretty good too.
}
}
}
} ----- Original Message -----
} From: "David Bennett" <david382@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
} To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
} Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 12:45 PM
} Subject: [bookport] Re: FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
}
}
} : Since learning to come to terms with CompactFlash cards a few years ago,
} : I've found that they are not created at all equal. If I stick with Sandisk
} : I'm ok, and if my frugal tendencies lead me into buying a bargain item by
} : some other brand, it isn't. I just go with Sandisk and have a near 100%
} : success rate. Maybe our equipment is more sensitive to inequities than
} : digital cameras and the like, or maybe other people do have these issues
and
} : I just haven't taken the trouble to notice.
} :
} : David Bennett
} :
} : ----- Original Message -----
} : From: "David Tanner" <david-tanner@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
} : To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
} : Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2005 12:26 AM
} : Subject: [bookport] Re: FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
} :
} :
} : >I think I have had to reformat 1 card a couple of times. But, I am
} : >wondering if another thing that may be involved is that I have noticed
that
} : >certain brands of memory cards seem to have more issues with having to be
} : >reformatted occasionally.
} : >
} : > For example, I have gotten to the point that I hesitate to purchase Lexar
} : > memory cards or thumb drives because I have seen their memory have more
} : > chances of having problems with files becoming corrupted.
} : >
} : >
} : >
} : > ----- Original Message -----
} : > From: "Robert Carter" <r-carter@xxxxxxx>
} : > To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
} : > Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 2:46 PM
} : > Subject: [bookport] Re: FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
} : >
} : >
} : > : Hi All,
} : > :
} : > : I have had one flash card go bad. It would not work in a pc or camera
} : > : or anything after it failed. I doubt that the Book Port is causing
} : > : these problems as I, like Joni, am a very heavy user and almost never
} : > : have to format a card.
} : > :
} : > : Robert Carter
} : > :
} : > : At 02:39 PM 10/25/2005, you wrote:
} : > : >For what it may be worth, which may not be much, I am an extremely
} : > heavy
} : > : >user of the Book Port and have used it since May 2004 and have never
} : > had to
} : > : >reformat a flash card. Now I know I have jinxed myself and will be
} : > doing it
} : > : >tomorrow.
} : > : >
} : > : >Joni
} : > : >----- Original Message -----
} : > : >From: "Richard Ring" <ring.richard@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
} : > : >To: <bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
} : > : >Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 10:56 AM
} : > : >Subject: [bookport] Re: FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
} : > : >
} : > : >
} : > : >The only issue I would take with your assumption is this. I have had
} : > to
} : > : >reformat a card twice in the past two years. Why then, do I not
} : > : >experience these same problems that some (not all) Bookport users seem
} : > : >to report?
} : > : >If I did in fact have to reformat a CF card every six weeks, I would be
} : > : >quite unhappy, so if this is the behavior that the majority of Bookport
} : > : >users are experiencing, then the problem is a severe one.
} : > : >
} : > : >
} : > : >-----Original Message-----
} : > : >From: bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
} : > : >[mailto:bookport-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
} : > : >Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 10:50 AM
} : > : >To: bookport@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
} : > : >Subject: [bookport] FILESYSTEM MUSINGS
} : > : >
} : > : >
} : > : >Hello. I've been reading this list for a couple of months, and
} : > : >have
} : > : >noticed what seems to be a somewhat common thread which appears to
} : > match
} : > : >my
} : > : >experience, and which, if it's true, raises issues which I think should
} : > : >be
} : > : >addressed in order to make the user experience for the bookport an even
} : > : >happier one.
} : > : > From what I can tell, there are a number of users who purchase
} : > : >their
} : > : >bookports from APH, get them home, load them up with data, read from
} : > : >them,
} : > : >and are completely happy with them. Then, after a month or two of use,
} : > : >when books have been cycled through the unit, and the user is feeling
} : > : >more
} : > : >comfortable putting more and more on the Bookport, he begins
} : > : >experiencing
} : > : >difficulties when transfering data to the Bookport. Flash cards fill
} : > : >unexpectedly during transfers, users encounter file coruption during
} : > the
} : > : >reading process, or weird errors just happen, seemingly from no where.
} : > : >the advice on this list, generally, seems to be that flash cards
} : > : >get
} : > : >corrupted, and they either have gone bad, or need to be reformatted
} : > : >before
} : > : >they work again for another month or two.
} : > : >My experience coincides with this description. I have had my
} : > : >Bookport
} : > : >for about four months, and have had to reformat the flash card I use
} : > : >most
} : > : >often at least once. It's now been about six weeks since I last
} : > : >reformatted my flash card, and I'm now beginning to see anomolous
} : > : >behavior,
} : > : >which I suspect will go away if I reformat my card yet again.
} : > : >All of this is to say that I think there is a subttle filesystem
} : > : >bug
} : > : >in the Bookport which no one yet quite understands. On clean, i.e.
} : > : >newly
} : > : >formatted flash cards, things work well. Then, as material comes and
} : > : >goes
} : > : >from the filesystem on the flash card, some of it written by the host
} : > : >computer, some by the Bookport itself, the filesystem becomes "dirty"
} : > in
} : > : >the way that most filesystems become "dirty" over time. Directories
} : > : >become
} : > : >fragmented as items are deleted and inserted, disk block allocations
} : > : >become
} : > : >fragmented as well, and the efficiency of the filesystem on the flash
} : > : >card
} : > : >becomes less over time. All of this is normal, and should be expected.
} : > : >The rub is that the Bookport appears to not deal well with this loss of
} : > : >efficiency, and as a consequence, becomes very fickle in its operation
} : > : >as
} : > : >the filesystems on its flash cards age.
} : > : >While, as someone suggested, running defragmentation programs
} : > : >against
} : > : >the filesystems on one's flash cards for Bookport might aleviate the
} : > : >problem, I'm not convinced this will totally help because I don't think
} : > : >defragmentation programs zero out blocks they free up on the
} : > filesystems
} : > : >they fix. The behavior I observe with my bookport leads me to believe
} : > : >that
} : > : >the firmware makes certain assumptions about what is in its various
} : > file
} : > : >buffers, and reuses them without necessarily properly cleaning them.
} : > : >For
} : > : >example, I have an MP3 file on my bookport right now which reads fine,
} : > : >except if I query the percentage status while the file is playing, and
} : > : >I've
} : > : >read more than 50% of it. If I hit the 8 key when the latter half of
} : > : >the
} : > : >file is playing, I get an FS buffer panic, followed by a bunch of audio
} : > : >file read error messages, accompanied by choppy sound until I either
} : > : >stop
} : > : >the bookport, or it comes to the end of the file in question.
} : > : >Let me stress, though, that I'm not trying to suggest that I
} : > : >know what
} : > : >the problem is, or how to fix it. However, I believe there is a
} : > : >problem,
} : > : >and that it should be looked into. The bookport should be able to deal
} : > : >with filesystems which pass chkdsk or scandisk, but which aren't
} : > : >necessarily pristine in terms of not having been used, and users
} : > : >shouldn't
} : > : >have to regularly reformat their flash cards in order to preserve
} : > : >usability.
} : > : >I love my bookport, but this issue, what ever it is, certainly
} : > : >adds to
} : > : >my level of frustration using it, and makes it downright inconvenient
} : > at
} : > : >times, while I cajole it into working.
} : > : >-Brian
} : > :
} : > :
} : >
} : >
} : >
} :
} :
} :
}
>-- End of excerpt from "David Tanner"
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