SMI 2-Meg RAM cards
joe...@usa.net
In article <6fd6f9$11pi$1...@grimsel.zurich.ibm.com>,
werner_h...@moc.mbi.eb (Werner Huysegoms) wrote:
>
> Hey did anyone else notice that SMI has a HP-approved 2Mb card, for only (!)
> 525 $ ... with a ten-year battery builtin. Don't know if you can put a
> fresh one in there, the explanation didn't mention it: http://www.smi.com/
No, you cannot put in a fresh battery, so after 10 years you'll have to throw
it away, which really sucks, because I'm still using the 128K RAM card I got
for my SX over 8 years ago, and HP-71 RAM modules that are 14 years old, and
HP-41 RAM modules that are 19 years old...
Also, be aware that "10 year battery" is true and false. It recharges itself
from the HP48's main batteries, and will last 10 years IF AND ONLY IF you
keep the card in the HP48! The bad news is that "The SMI Ram Card will
maintain the data for about 60 days outside the calculator. If you are going
to leave the RAM Card outside of a HP48 for an extended period of time, we
recommend you back up your data." (from the instruction sheet that comes
with the card)
This makes it the perfect choice for people who use their HP48 a lot and
don't need to remove the RAM card for extended periods of time. Surveyors
who can fit all their jobs into one 2-Meg RAM card, and hobbyists like most
of us, come to mind. But surveyors who store huge jobs on separate cards,
and keep a bunch of cards for their current jobs, would always be worried
about the integrity of the data in the uninstalled cards.
One other odd thing about the SMI RAM cards: no write-protect switch. It's
true that the switch would not be used by surveyors and other data hunters
and gatherers, but it makes the card less attractive to hobbyists who hack
and crash all the time.
> I also don't see why being HP-approved triples the price of these things.
Final caveat about the SMI RAM cards: NO SHUTTER! That means that they are
*not* "HP approved". The instruction sheet says, "There is also no metal
shutter covering the contacts. The metal shutter was designed to protect
pins from static and abrasions in shipment. You may have noticed your card
came in a protective case to protect it from both static and abrasions."
This is also bad news. It means that you'll have to carry around the little
plastic box, if you want to remove the RAM card temporarily, rather than just
throwing it naked into the calculator case's pouch like we all do now.
It is a shame that these facts (60-day battery life, no way to change the
battery, no write-protect switch, and no shutter), are not mentioned in the
company's product brochure nor on their website, and are only learned *after*
shelling out $525 for the card. And you only get a 1-year warranty. (For $50
more, you can get a 2-year warranty.)
That having been said, I ran the SMI 2-Meg RAM card (the only commercially-
manufactured 2Meg RAM card for the HP48) through a rather nasty set of tests
(including pretty violent shock tests), and it performed flawlessly.
But then, so does this German one I got at the London Conference, and it
cost less than half what the SMI card costs.
Disclaimer: I do not work for SMI, HP, or anybody else.
-Joe-
joe...@usa.net
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Dan Kirkland
In article <6fp6ie$7j9$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
joe...@usa.net writes:
>Disclaimer: I do not work for SMI, HP, or anybody else.
Looking for work Joe?
dan
tral...@yahoo.com
There are coming up new ram-cards with protective cover from CYNOX (was
WEIDATEC) when somebody had tested them, please let the newsgroup know.
The related web page is http://members.aol.com/weidatec/
Balazs Fischer
---===> Quoting joe...@usa.net to Werner Huysegoms <===---
j> That having been said, I ran the SMI 2-Meg RAM card (the only
j> commerciallymanufactured 2Meg RAM card for the HP48) through a
There are quite a few companies in germany that commercially manufacture 2M
(and even 4M) cards for the HP.
j> rather nasty set of tests (including pretty violent shock tests),
j> and it performed flawlessly. But then, so does this German one I
j> got at the London Conference, and it cost less than half what the
j> SMI card costs.
Was this a "naked" card?
cu
Balazs Fischer
Balazs....@studbox.uni-stuttgart.de
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... Be consistent - but don't do it all the time.
joe...@usa.net
Balazs Fischer wrote:
>
> Joe Horn wrote:
>>
>> ... this German [RAM card] I got at the London Conference
>> cost less than half what the SMI card costs.
>
> Was this a "naked" card?
Yes. You can see it in all its naked glory here:
http://users.kcyb.com/joehorn/2MegFront.jpg
http://users.kcyb.com/joehorn/2MegBack.jpg
You can also see it (and Martin Pedersen, who was selling them)
in the four pictures at the bottom of this page:
http://www.waterw.com/~jake-s/1997/HPCCconf97/vendor.htm
It's the only RAM card that lets you *measure* the actual
battery level, without removing the card from the HP48!
(You can see how by looking at the picture).
-Joe-
joe...@usa.net
DirkStolte
Hi,
we have since 1992 electronic battery control.
Our cards are improved, so that we do not need to make brandnew RAM-Cards,
(we have only some small changes, which are dificult to find)
We are also producing RAM cards with protective cover.
take a look at http://stolte-edv.com
dirk