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aapljack · Sep 23, 2003, 12:26 PM

Does anyone have any experience with on of these? Sounds like a cool thing to be able to read a CF card from your PC card slot. I found a Viking one on amazon for $8. Sounds like a bargin. Do these work with osX? I assume they will.

-b

tooki · Sep 23, 2003, 12:38 PM

Yes and no. They work great in OS 9.

OS X supports them, but in 10.2.3 and later has severe problems with them, resulting in either a freeze on insertion (which may "thaw" after a couple of minutes), and if you remove it during that freeze, it will kernel panic.

So, all in all, under OS X I'd advise against it (I have one, and can't use it...). Instead, buy a USB 2 card reader, such as the very nice SanDisk 6-in-1 reader.

tooki

Eciton · Sep 23, 2003, 12:42 PM

That's odd. I'm in the Windows side of things (sorry, haven't ordered my PB yet), and CF in a PC card slot is about as stable as you get. Partly of course because CF basically is PCMCIA (which is why the passive adaptor is so cheap), but also I've never had any problems on a Windows laptop with a CF-->PCMCIA drive.

Given how common a use this is, I'm shocked that Apple haven't fixed this problem yet. How odd.

Just to confirm, I'm not trolling or complaining, just expressing my opinion that this is odd

aapljack · Sep 23, 2003, 12:49 PM

I am tempted to just order one for the hell of it, since it is only $8. I'll do a little more looking around before I do. Thanks for the advice!

-b

ulmer · Sep 23, 2003, 01:05 PM

I've been using one for a year and have never had a problem. 1 Ghz TiBook, 10.2.6 and 10.3

alpha rays max · Sep 23, 2003, 01:35 PM

No problems with freezing on my TiBook 867.

danbrew · Sep 23, 2003, 01:59 PM

Yeah, I've got one too. No problems with a Rev A 17". The challenge, I believe, is that each CF card has a "hard disk controller" and some of them (brands, not cards) are what is causing the problem with certain flavors of OS X and the books. Viking, Sandisk, and Lexar all work fine for me.

tooki · Sep 23, 2003, 02:03 PM

I use primarily Lexar cards and the problem appears. A SanDisk card I have does the same. It's not limited to CF, by the way -- a friend of mine has the same problem with a PC Card Memory Stick reader.

tooki

jsiburt · Sep 23, 2003, 02:18 PM

Tooki is right they do freeze depending on the card. What I did discover is that on my PB 17" that if you wait it will thaw. At least it always has for me.

The other thing I noticed is that I primarily use mine with my camera and my Sharp Zaurus (great handheld by the way) and as long as there is information on the card such as a folder, it doesn't freeze. I don't know why or if it works that way for others. I am using a SanDisk CF adapter and a SanDisk multicard adapter. The SD and CF cards I use are from three manufacturers so I don't believe that is the issue.

I have noticed that in 10.2.8 I have yet to have a freeze though.

bmhome1 · Sep 23, 2003, 04:43 PM

First thing I tested after upgrading a partition to 10.2.8 was to test the PC card freezes, and of course it immediately froze the desktop for five full minutes until suddenly mounting the drive, same business as usual since 10.2.3.

What in God's name is wrong with Apple with resolving this?

CF cards, SD cards, 4 in 1 adaptor, PCMCIA hard drive, everything inserted freezes.

DevNine · Nov 20, 2003, 12:53 PM

Is the apple airport card for the new powerbooks a cf card ? I want to get a wireless 802.11b card working but no the apple airport one.

tooki · Nov 20, 2003, 12:59 PM

First just a little update: on my new AlBook, reading CF cards with a PC Card adapter works beautifully. On my Pismo, and on a friend's 667 VGA TiBook, it causes the freeze.

Apple's Airport card is a modified PC Card. The Airport Extreme card is a mini-PCI card.

tooki

Blackstealth · Nov 21, 2003, 01:22 PM

1.25 AlBook: 10.3 - no problems with a Viking adapter and a variety of Viking and Canon cards.