Introduction

Introduced in 1994 , the CompactFlash standard has withstood the test of time and does not seem to be going away anytime soon. In fact, it is still the most common and popular media format for portable devices.

Although there are two types of CompactFlash cards - Type I and Type II, the only difference between the two is the thickness. Type I CompactFlash cards are 3.3 mm thick while Type II CompactFlash cards are slightly thicker at 5 mm. Of course, due to the difference in thickness, Type I CompactFlash cards can be used in both Type I and Type II slots but Type II cards can only be used in Type II slots.

Other than that, both types are electrically and logically the same. Both types have complete PCMCIA and ATA functionality, and they both support 3.3V and 5V operation. They also have the same 50-pin connector.

Today, we will be taking a look at the new Seagate Photo Hard Drive, specifically the 8GB model. Yes, you read that right. That's 8GB of storage capacity in a tiny card measuring just 43 mm by 36 mm.

But unlike other CompactFlash cards, the Photo Hard Drive is actually a miniature 1" hard drive! Let's take a look!

The Package

The Seagate Photo Hard Drive came in a plastic retail package, which allows you to directly examine the card without opening up the package. If you flip over the package, you can read about the various features of the Seagate Photo Hard Drive.

Front	Back

The packaging certainly appears solid enough to withstand quite a lot of abuse. However, because it is a real hard drive with mechanical parts, it is highly recommended that you use sponge and/or foam to provide protection against shock if you intend to have it mailed out.

Contents

Upon opening it up, you will find the Photo Hard Drive and a hard plastic case.

There's also a cardboard insert, which actually serves as the manual.

Contents :

• One Seagate 8GB Photo Hard Drive
• One hard plastic case
• One manual