Adding File Storage to Your Handheld and Pocket PC

The latest crop of Windows CE devices has become not only incredible information appliances, but also true multimedia marvels. You can download and store email on your Pocket or Handheld PC, keep your music library with you, store volumes of eBooks on your Windows Powered device, and even stockpile short MPEG movies to view at your leisure. The problem is that most Pocket or Handheld PCs come with 16 or 32 Mb of internal RAM memory. Over half of that can be used to store documents, music, and other files, but some if it must be reserved for running programs. Additional "file storage memory" is essential if you want to do all that you want to do with your Pocket or Handheld PC. (Note: The solutions I review in this article add file storage capability to Handheld and Pocket PCs. They do nothing to increase the RAM memory needed to run programs.)

Fortunately, there are a number of relatively inexpensive file storage memory solutions available for the Pocket and Handheld PCs. The recent explosion in new consumer high-tech toys, such as digital cameras and MP3 music players, has helped encouraged the development of electronic storage media. Most of the memory add-ons are "Flash memory" cards (see Screen 1), sometimes referred to as "Flash cards." These cards have no moving parts, storing their files electronically in small memory chips embedded in the card.

Screen 1: Shown here are three sizes of Flash memory cards from SanDisk. The largest is the PC Card (about the size of a thick credit card). Next in size is the CompactFlash Card, followed by the Multimedia Card (about the size of a small postage stamp and as thick as a piece of cardboard).

SanDisk is the largest manufacturer of these Flash cards, with the broadest product line. The May/June 1999 issue of Handheld PC Magazine (www.PocketPCmag.com/may99/flashmem.htm) has a complete review of SanDisk's memory products. Other manufacturers of Flash Memory cards include Delkin, Kingmax, Lexar Media, MagicRAM and Pretec Electronics. (A more complete listing of Flash memory manufacturers, along with contact information, is at the end of this article.)

Other more traditional types of storage media are also available from IBM, Accurite Technologies, Addonics and Calluna. This article will look at the current crop of file storage solutions, from the smallest postage stamp-sized Multimedia (Flash memory) Card, all the way up to Accurite's 12-gigabyte portable hard drive. All devices tested in this review were "plug and play" ready. No additional setup or software installation was necessary.

Know your Handheld or Pocket PC

Before you rush out and buy any of these solutions, take a close look at your Windows Powered device. For example, if it doesn't have a CompactFlash slot, a C/F storage card is useless. Windows CE device owners have always had many choices for additional storage cards, but each device will be restricted to what the manufacturer designed into its product. (Note: Users of Palm OS devices are aware that Palms don't have a memory card slot. Currently, none of these solutions will work with Palm OS devices. The Handspring Visor does have a card slot, but it is a proprietary slot and is not compatible with any of the memory solutions discussed in this article.)

Multimedia / Secure Digital memory cards