X5 as USB Flash drive

[kragbell]

Everyone's seen the usb flash / pen drives and I want to use my Axim X5 in the same way. I have a synch. cable I carry around with my but I always seem to have to install the active synch. on any host PC before I can transfer files from PC <-> Axim ! Am I missing something R-E-A-L obvious or is this simply "as it's meant to be" ?

Thanks for reading - Had Axim 6 months - simply awesome.

Andrew

[pswets]

Welcome to aximsite, kragbell!

Sorry, but you need activesync to connect your axim to a computer. You need something like a jumpdrive trio (if you want to use your sd card as memory), or else a pen drive.

[kragbell]

Thanks for the welcome - and for taking the time to reply.
Unfortunately it's not the answer I was looking for but obviously I bow to your All Star status.

I use my X5 for very little other than day to day organising my work, meeting notes & remote web-viewing via Avantgo when bored. I'm also doing some music storage rather than buy a dedicated MP3 player.
I just though this was a good way to add another function without buying/carrying around extra hardware although the pen drives ARE as cheap as chips (chips being fries :) ).

Cheers - Andrew

Welcome to aximsite, kragbell!

Sorry, but you need activesync to connect your axim to a computer. You need something like a jumpdrive trio (if you want to use your sd card as memory), or else a pen drive.

[fremen]

I use a SD to USB adapter I got off eBay for my storage needs. Have the SD card in the Axim all the time and if I need to get something off a PC, stick it in the adapter and then back in the Axim again when done. I found it very handy anyway.

[bcries]

nevertheless, it would be really nice if there was a PocketPC utility out there that could make the Axim "pretend" to be a USB Mass Storage device. Access to the SD and CF cards could be gained through the folder interface of the PocketPC filesystem root.

This would be especially usefull for those of us who want desktop connectivity WITHOUT having to install ActiveSync - because maybe we can't - or don't have time.

But is it even possible?

[ecsw]

even if it is, that connection is very slow. If you have tried to copy files from computer thru ActiveSynC -> SD on X5 and Files to USB 2.0 card reader with SD, u WILL tell the difference. :)

[bcries]

Yeah I have a JumpDrive Trio so I know what you mean about the speed difference on an SD card. But still, there are two reasons you'd still want this functionality:

1. Copying directly to and from main storage RAM (if that's what you want to do) might still be faster than having to use the SD card as the "middle man" swapping between the Axim and the card reader, and copying on the device

2. This would eliminate the need to carry around the card reader if you're tight for space... one less device

We're simply talking about a lack of thought on Dell's part. Its sort of the same reason why friends seem to prefer the iPod over the Dell DJ, hands-down... regardless of the price difference, the Dell requires specific software on the host computer, while the iPod will always act like a USB key.

[as77]

This would certainly be possible. It's just that no software developer has developed a driver for the PPC OS that makes it appear as an USB Mass Storage device. For a developer who has a good knowledge of USB intrinsics and the USB Mass Storage specification, probably this would be a relatively easy task.