SanDisk 8GB Micro-SDHC Memory - in and about the AT&T Tilt 8925...

Need memory? I think all of us could benefit with more... Age has shot mine full of holes, but there is a solution - and SanDisk works to fill the gaps, even if it can't be inserted in my head...

My recent purchase of a new AT&T Tilt 8925 left me searching for increased storage. Since this new PDA phone can use up to 32 GB. of added Micro-SDHC memory, and it comes with the memory storage slot empty, I wanted all I could get within reason - and right away. The 8 GB. SDSDQRS8192 was available at my favorite Internet store "The Egg" for $64.99, a good price per GB., so I quickly and greedily scooped one card up.

Yes, I knew 16 GB. chips of Micro-SDHC memory are due out sometime this summer, but I did say I was greedy - and I actually wanted mine to arrive yesterday, before I ordered it. I had previously been using the RAZR V3i which had come with a ScanDisk Micro-SD 512 MB. chip at purchase. I was using it in the 8925, but wanted it back in my V3i. I will say that 512 MB. chip has performed flawlessly, and it readily fit and was accepted by my new 8925 Tilt. But, greed set in just as quickly as the reality set in that my 8925 Tilt is capable of so many more things that more memory could easily improve.

The SanDisk 8 GB. chip came with a small USB reader - wait a minute, make that a tiny bright red and black USB reader. The chip actually directly fits the reader so well the combo could be used as a pocket flash drive. I already knew what the size of a Micro-SDHC card was, but the reader surprised me. How tiny is it? Well, my Corsair 1 GB. TuboFlash drive with ReadyBoost (Vista accelerator) dwarfs it in size, being about 3 times larger. The SanDisk reader measures about 1 1/4 x 1/2 x 1/4 inches and weighs less than one thin Roosevelt dime - and that's with the miniscule 8 GB. Micro-SDHC chip installed in it. If you're wondering how small a Micro-SDHC memory card is - think about the size of a well trimmed finger-nail on your smallest finger, and you'll be close.

Very easily lost was the first thought I had, crossing my mind as I looked at it. Despite its size, the reader actually appears to be very sturdy. It also has a tiny hole made for a small lanyard of some type - alas, mine came with no such animal. So, I found a leather bootlace, and cut it down length-wise for a smaller six inch piece. I oiled that small piece of leather and softened it - only after which, I was able to work the leather through that tiny hole. The small leather lanyard actually looked quite nice after I tied the ends together with a small knot. Strangely, the reader only has a two year warranty, while the Micro-SDHC memory card has a five year warranty.

My package had arrived of course in the standard aggravating hard-to-open blister pack. An extra plastic snap case was also provided to hold and protect the Micro-SDHC chip. The clear blister pack had the additional spot for the USB reader, and another that could have held a tiny lanyard. But, if that additional spot had held a lanyard, I missed it or immediately lost it as I fought with opening the ridiculously tough to open package. Inside I did find a warranty and care booklet, and an emusic offer.

First thing I did was insert the card into the reader. This is a snug fit that had me wondering if I would be also able to retrieve it later. Next I popped the reader into a USB 2.0 port on my XP x64 computer and the computer immediately spotted it - but wait, I didn't have my collection of music files on this computer. So, I did the Windows safe removal and removed the reader. Walking over to my Vista Ultimate x64 computer, I inserted it in a USB 2.0 port there using a corded extension. Vista also immediately recognized the card. There was nothing installed on the card, but I had Vista format it Fat 32 as a precaution before downloading media to it. I noticed the reader became warm during the format, so I hung it in front of a case fan on that computer before I opened the Vista Media Center and chose the music I wanted to sync, cooler is always better on electronics. I watched it for a moment as Media Center loaded the first 8 percent of the chip and noticed it was staying warm which worried me some. I left figuring it would either die or survive, and went about my business for some time. When I returned, Vista was displaying the chip filled. I safely removed the reader and the chip from it - placing it in my AT*T Tilt 8925 memory slot.

I had to tell the Pocket PC 6 Media Player to load the files, and that took a little time. A few minutes later, I noticed the Media Player had added 2000 MP3s - which I then began listening to over my new Motorola S805 Bluetooth headphones. Playback was excellent, but I'm sure it would take some doing to listen to all 2000 of those songs, including those that came installed to the Tilt's built-in memory. I then removed the card and used my XP X64 computer to clear out few MP3s on the Micro-SDHC card, and installed a short video. Yes the video was fine also, and further verified the SanDisk claims of 2000 MP3s - and working with MPEG-4 (44 hours of video if filled with only MPEG 4). SanDisk also rates this memory card at 27,200 2MP photo images and I have no doubts considering what I've seen.

Previously, I mentioned using this chip and reader like my Corsair TuboFlash. While the Corsair memory has ReadyBoost function, Vista ReadyBoost is a joke as far as I'm concerned, as I would rather add additional RAM to the motherboard - but here's the kicker, this SanDisk chip is also fully capable of ReadyBoost operation. Where the Corsair TurboFlash excelled was in transfer speeds. Amazingly, this ScanDisk chip and reader, with its class 4 memory, is on par with and rivals the Corsair TurboFlash in speed. So, it does compare very well with was a faster flash memory over others only last year. If for some reason you want to use ReadyBoost with this Micro-SDHC combo, you need to remember Readyboost requires at least 235 MB. of free memory on the chip, and Windows will recommend 400 MB. for optimal performance.

Read/Write Performance:

As a test anyone could relate to, I loaded the Micro-SDHC to my XP x64 computer again, using the reader and a direct 2.0 USB connection, to get a better idea on the read write speeds. Ten minutes and 30 seconds later the entire music folder had been placed on my "D" drive, and again the flash drive was only slightly warm.

To properly give an indication here, I must also tell you the my XP X64 computer uses a partitioned SATA WD2500KS hard drive, 2 GB. of DDR2 800 memory in dual channel operation, and an AMD Athlon64 AM2 3800 processor at 2.4 MHz. Not slow, but also not the fastest system I own, this computer should give a good idea of what the average newer computer can do with one of these class-4 Micro-SDHC SanDisk flash drives and a 2.0 USB connection. Just a note here was the drives files were instantly available for use as I opened the music files on the flash drive.

Next, I deleted the music folder from the flash drive. The SanDisk drive can also be de-fragmented, but doing so is un-necessary for drives of this type and only adds additional wear and tear to any flash drive. Deletion of the 7.5 GB. folder and its files took 2 minutes and 50 seconds and the drive remained only slightly warm.

Now here's what everyone will want to know. That same 7.5 GB. music folder, that took 10 minutes and 30 seconds to transfer to my hard drive, took 26 minutes and 40 seconds to restore to the flash drive from my hard drive. That may sound slow - but it directly compares data rate exchanges on my Corsair TurboFlash drive.

General SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) information:

If you've been wondering about SDHC and have seen manufacturers offering various adapters for these Micro-SDHC cards, don't run out and buy one until you do some study. All devices are not SDHC compatible, so even if you purchased a SDHC card with the correct adapter, it may not work with your devices. So, interchangeability might not be the reason some might hope for.

Final Thoughts:

No newcomer, SanDisk makes proven memory. For my new AT&T Tilt 8925, this 8 GB. Micro-SDHC memory was the hot ticket to load up my phone. I was shocked to actually see how great the performance was and, with a five year warranty on the chip, I have no reservations concerning this memory. It will easily last until faster and newer technology out classes it - and if it doesn't, SanDisk will simply replace it free until then. To tell the truth, I think more highly of this little combo over the Corsair TurboFlash I purchased last year - so what if the Corsair is bigger and has a flashing LED? I paid roughly the same price ($10 less) for it with its 1 GB. of storage. Sure it's fast, but now this midget has 8 GB. of storage and runs just as fast. For my money, I feel I did well to pick up the SanDisk at its price - and it's a better deal than the Corsair 1 GB. TurboBoost even today. A good buy and quality in a miniature size, I can't wait to see what happens when SanDisk releases the 32 GB. Micro-SHDC memory.