Devices for mobile mass storage/backup, e.g. on holiday?

I'm looking for a way of backing up my memory card without the use of a
computer.

If I only store pictures at the highest resolution on my camera, then on a
holiday of any length I would expect to take enough pictures to more than
fill my 1GB memory card. I've used about 400MB on a 3 day long weekend. I
don't want to take a laptop on holiday, so I started looking for other
options, apart from just buying another memory stick or two. There seems to
be quite a few devices around for this, and I've listed a few below.

The Archos AV420 looked good for a while but I've seen played with one and
it didn't live up to expectations. For example, it will play back .avi
files if the video portion was coded using MPEG4, but it can't play a .mpg
file straight from the camera. It seems quite expensive just as a way of
storing and viewing still images.

The Addonics MFR (Multi Function Recorder) looks the best choice at the
moment, though I can't find anyone selling it in the UK. Playback of images
to a TV will do fine instead of viewing them directly on a built-in screen.

My second choice would be the 'external hard drive devices'. These appear
to just use any two USB storage devices and do a copy from one to the other.
This means that I would need a USB card reader or the camer itself, and a
USB hard drive that can run off its own power source (battery or mains, but
not the USB interface). These should be reasonably cheap and easy enough to
find.

If anyone has any experience of any of these devices (or other solutions) I
would appreciate your opinions on their usefulness etc.

Built-in hard drive devices:

Archos AV420
http://www.archos.com/products/prw_500664.html
Image display, MP3 player, AVI player, video recorder
GBP 323

iRiver H320
http://www.iriver.com/product/info.asp?p_name=H320
GBP 285

VOSONIC X'S-DRIVE PRO VP300
http://www.xs-drive.com/xsdrivepro/
MP3 player
GBP 199

VOSONIC IC-DRIVE VP3610
http://www.xs-drive.com/icdrive3610/
MP3 player
GBP 235

Image Tank G2
http://www.image-tank.com/englisch/e_frame.html
EUR 329 (GBP 225)

External hard drive devices

Delkin USB Bridge
http://www.delkin.com/delkin_products_usb_bridge.html
GBP 50

Macally Data Copier
http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/inpu...e/syncbox.html
GBP 25

CD/DVD devices:

Digi Magic DM 220
http://www.digi-magic.com/digimagic8x.htm
CD writer
GBP 169

Digi Magic DM 220 DVD
http://www.digi-magic.com/digimagicdvd.htm
DVD writer
GBP 350, available September 2004?

Addonics MFR DVD+/-R/RW
http://www.addonics.com/products/mfr/aemfr842d.asp
DVD writer/player, TV out, MP3 player
USD 320 (GBP 178)


--
Joe

http://joe.hotchkiss.com

Joe Hotchkiss wrote:
I'm looking for a way of backing up my memory card without the use of
a computer.


The Addonics MFR (Multi Function Recorder) looks the best choice at
the moment, though I can't find anyone selling it in the UK.
Playback of images to a TV will do fine instead of viewing them
directly on a built-in screen.


I have this device, and have just one complaint. Well, two: they should
supply a case that accepts the machine with battery installed (it's a
sidecar that must come off for the main box to fit in the very nice case
supplied); it's a little heavy to lug around all day in a back pack. Not
heavy in the morning, increases in weight during a long day. How do they
do that?

Otherwise, it works great: quick, one-button dumps from card to disk; it
automatically makes a new directory for each dump; six 512MB disk-writes
with no perceptible drain on the battery (it wouldn't accept a charge
after these uses. Short write-times.

Easy to make two copies of a disk, mail one home and carry one.

I haven't tried the DVD-play functions.

Direct from Addonics it was about $300US including an extra battery.
Delivered two days after an on-line order, both the purveyor and buyer
in California.


--
Frank ess