[nigeljedi]

I recently moved a couple of files from my iMac onto a 4MB CompactFlash media card (which weren't picture files) via my Zio CF reader out of curiosity. It worked fine, and I had an idea and, naturally, a question. My question is a two-part gem...
First, is using a CF card a viable alternative to Zip disks as far as everyday file transfers from my iMac to my iBook? What I mean is, I can appreciate switching the CF reader and media disk between Macs much more than the Zip drive and disk. I can tote the CF stuff much easier than the Zip stuff (i.e., to work).
Second, will a CF card last at least as long as a Zip disk? I thought I remembered an arbitrary number on the packaging for my 32MB SanDisk CF card pertaining to the number of photos it would hold over it's lifetime ("allows xxx-million photos!!...").


So, does anyone else use a removable media solution for everyday file transfers, or am I missing something here? I mean overall, the price is great for the reader (as compared to a Zip drive), and the portability aspect, for me, more than makes up for the price difference in media.
Just wondering...

[Timo]

Seems to me that CF is much more reliable than zip disks—CF is static, while zips have moving parts. I don't have a lot of experience with the durability of CFs, but zips are in my experience very vulnerable to damage.

One other bonus is that transfering data using a CF doesn't require any extra system extensions, while zips require the installation of an Iomega extension. Some people contend that the iomega zip extension cause problems. I got rid of mine a while back and my system 9.2.2 feels zippier.

[scaught]

timo is right on.

while a CF card is certainly more expensive per MB than a Zip, the readers are dirt cheap and the portability factor is certainly a plus. we've had a couple CF cards going in and out of digital cameras and my HandEra 330 for the past few years and ive never had a problem nor have heard of any problems.

[nigeljedi]

I hoped I'd hear good things of CF...I plan on buying a 256MB card so that I have every bit as much space as my Zip 250, but more portable.
As for the Iomega extensions issue, I didn't have any problems with them in OS 9 or X...I only installed the actual Iomega software the very first time after I got the Zip drive (almost 3 years ago), and I discovered later that I didn't need to install anything to simply get the disk to mount and to transfer data to and from the disk. It has always worked natively, and I haven't really needed the Iomega tools stuff...

Now, here's another quandry...if we don't need drivers to make Zip disks (which, to me, seems like a more difficult implementation than a CF card/reader) mount in OS X, then why hasn't Apple made CF, SmartMedia or Sony's MemorySticks work natively? I don't program or anything, so I may easily miss a simple answer, but it just seems like this would be an obvious implementation.
I'm personally tired, however, of waiting for the 3rd party drivers to arrive every time Apple releases an update that breaks the previous drivers...i.e., MicrotechInt. (creator of the Zio reader)...