Sonnet p2 card reader
the Panasonic card erase computer application allows you to custom name the cards, whereas the camera erase renames them NO_NAME. No huge deal as the card can be erased in the camera - BUT. Using the P2 slot of the Qio into the NBP the Panasonic card erase application does not 'see' the card and so is useless. a P2 card can be inserted into the TiBook and the card can be erased with Panasonic's card erase application.
#SONNET P2 CARD READER FREE#
With much of a P2 reader's usefulness being in-the-field, off-loading files to free up cards, this is a major black mark for a purportedly 'portable' device. Not a problem with a desktop setup because it can remain connected but a huge disadvantage for a laptop. If you disconnect and use the computer normally ie carry it around like a laptop, the next time Qio is connected there will be a long delay before the desktop loads and then there will be a further long delay whilst the computer is frozen and unresponsive. The long delay is only avoided if you do NOT start up in the meantime WITHOUT the Qio connected. However, it is a quirky thing and, despite Sonnet's assurance that the initial long delay in computer boot-up time is not repeated after the first restart.
The Sonnet Qio is a nice looking bit of kit and the versatility is definitely a bonus. SD via generic reader to MBP : 2.39Gb - 2' 24" = 16.60 Mb p/s The following gives you Sonnet Qio transfer speeds Someone out there will know what that is all about. MBP calculated a P2 file as 9.84Gb, the TiBook calculates the same file as 9.17Gb. One small issue when comparing the Qio to the TiBook's built-in P2 card slot is that the TiBook (Mac OS 10.4.11) calculates the size of the video files differently to the MBP (OS 10.6.5) eg. BTW, there was lots of talk of very slow transfer speeds for the P2 card slots on the Qio in contrast to the snappy Compact Flash slots. I always had the option of using the G4 Titanium Powerbook as a P2 card reader and sticking with the various small readers for the CF and SD cards of my Canon 5D mkll and small Panasonic HDC-SD9 video camcorder.Īnyway, having made the choice to go with the Qio I can now give you the various transfer rates so that anyone else stuck with the problem of getting P2 information off the card can make a more informed choice.
It had to be the MBP 17" as it is the sole remaining option with an ExpressCard34 slot. I am not huge fan of USB when it comes to video file transfer and so, given the apparent flexibility of the Qio, decided to go for the Qio. Transfer is by eSATA (ExpressCard34 into a laptop and PCI card on a desktop) and it is list priced at just under $1000.
#SONNET P2 CARD READER PLUS#
The Sonnet Qio has two banks of card slots and so can read 2x P2, 2x CF, plus 2x anything else that fits into the supplied multi-card reader ExpressCard card adapter (eg SD cards), or any combination of the above. The Panasonic AJ-PCD2GPJ is a single P2 (PCMCIA) card reader with USB 2 transfer and is list priced at $350. ) brought to light the then recent availability of the Panasonic AJ-PCD2GPJ P2 card reader and the Sonnet Qio multi-card reader. As I had not actually purchased the MBP yet it was going to be loaded with at least Snow Leopard. and then I found out that Snow Leopard would not recognise them anyway. and then I found out that the dual card readers were at best flakey or unreliable. But then it all fell apart because FCP migrated to intel only and then Apple dropped the ExpressCard34 slot from the 15" MBP.
I had everything worked out when I purchased the Panasonic HPX171 because my TiBook has a PCMCIA card slot. I have moaned in the past about the lack of affordable P2 card-readers.