A feature that many PPC users certainly would like, is the possibility to use our PDAs as a Mass Storage Device, which means being able to use it just like the USB memory sticks, which do not require any drivers (under Windows XP of course). Unfortunately, this hasn’t so far been possible, with the standard features offered by Windows Mobile 2003SE
Translation edited by Francesco_q (Translation Group)
Intro:
A feature that many PPC users certainly would like, is the possibility to use our PDAs as a Mass Storage Device, which means being able to use it just like the USB memory sticks, which do not require any drivers (under Windows XP of course). Unfortunately, this hasn’t so far been possible, with the standard features offered by Windows Mobile 2003SE
Luckily SOFTICK software has solved this issue by developing a piece of software for PPC (already existing for Palm) called Card Export II. Card Export II is still in BETA release and has a few bugs. The software house however, has already informed us that a new and more stable version will be released soon.
The software:
The software can be either downloaded as a 21-day trial, or bought from their website. Once downloaded, we find the standard .exe file to execute the installation. We tested the program on a Dell Axim X50v, running Windows Mobile 2003 SE and an Intel PXA 27x series processor. We chose to install the program in the main memory as it is very small in size. When the installation is completed, a soft-reset is necessary which will be automatically performed when we click on “YES”
After our reset is performed, a new icon appears on the lower application bar:
If we connect the PDA and let it sync, the icon will colour itself as shown below:
Tapping on the icon will cause the service menu to appear:
The first two options allow us to select the operating mode: Card Export allows us to use our PDA as a Mass Storage Device, while Active Sync mode will cause the PDA to act as normal.
The DEFAULT menu allows us to chose WHICH card to use as default (SD or CF)
Unfortunately the program doesn’t allow to explore your PDA’s RAM memory, but only the SD, CF, and ROM memory. Furthermore, in our trial, the ROM memory explore function was not actually working.
The UNINSTALL option will remove the program from our PDA.
Let’s now try to use the PDA as a Mass Storage Device. We select the CARD EXPORT mode, and notice that the icon changes:
If we connect the PDA to our computer now, it will be recognised as an external Mass Storage Device
Specifically, the computer will now recognise THREE different mass storage devices, one for the SD card, one for the CF card, and one for the ROM.
If we look into my computer, we find three new letters.
We tried to transfer data from and to the SD card, and the results were quite positive. The system never crashed, even with fairly big sized files. Of course the transfer speed is limited to USB 1.1, which is slower than USB 2, but it still does the job for documents and pictures.
Compatibility:
The software, being in BETA release, DID have some bugs, but these will probably be solved in the next release. Specifically, the software is only compatible with Windows Mobile 2003 so far, and only with Intel PXA series 25X and 27x processors. Furthermore, the software seems not to be compatible with some HTC PDAs (i-Mate, qteck, O2 ecc.) and with the Dell Axim x30. However, the program is fully compatible with Dell x50, Fujitsu Siemens and HP PPCs. Strangely though, the ROM exploring in our trial wasn’t functional.
Conclusion:
Overall, it is clear that the software needs further development, but this is fairly standard in a BETA release. The idea on the other is very good, and the integration with the operating system is excellent
Pros: Very useful Good integration with operating system Ease of use Small disk size
Cons: Compatibility.
If you’re interested in purchasing the software or downloading a trial, it can be found HERE at a price $14.95
Many thanks to SOFTICK for their cooperation and availability
