DVD-RAM Drive and its driver

So a week ago I picked up a DVD Multi off of eBay, a VDM292U and installed it in my CF-28 MKII with no problems. What I'm looking into and don't know much about is that Windows XP (and subsequently Windows 98SE on my CF-27 would need drivers just to read the disc but I highly expect the Multi is for use on a CF-29 anyways) only allows DVD-RAM to be formatted in FAT32. I've heard that UDF is not only faster than FAT32 but doesn't require the File Allocation Table that supposedly wears out DVD-RAM discs faster but slows down the recording of the disc. I'm assuming that Panasonic only released it with the DVD-RAM Utility Disc since it contains burner software and all that. While I'm not 100% sure but would only the driver allow UDF writing or does it need a separate program as well?

I know there's plenty of programs that'll do it for me but I'm at a cross between using something designed for the drive and even with 768MB of RAM we all know how much a system requires just to run these days.

 

I guess my question would be why? DVD Ram is so much slower unless you have single huge files, and a 32GB Micro-SD card costs $25 and will fit in a reader the size of a micro-Bluetooth module. Get a cheap USB 2.0 PCMCIA card, plug it into the hidden slot and fuggeddaboudditt.


PCMCIA USB 2 0 Bluetooth Combo CardBus Adapter Laptop | eBay



mnem
Arrrou?

 

I don't want to question my esteemed colleague, the honorable gentleman from Texas, but cards made by AKE have been known to have certain pyrotechnic qualities. Wouldn't a good quality PCMCIA SDHC card reader in one of the normal slots be a better solution? I know, it means having a door open, don't use it in the shower!
CAP

 

"Everything you ever wanted to know about DVD-RAM, but were not afraid to ask":

DVD-RAM - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Check out section on "Advantages", bullet # 5. It seems to indicate that XP does not require special software. Also note advantage bullet # 2 which indicates being able to re-write 10X to 100X as many times as DVD±RW. This assumes that you are using DVD-RAM media, which is harder to find (order it online), and more expensive.

 

Yes, I'm the guy who has been warning folks about that. However, I'm also the guy who figured out that the issues have to do with the built-in boost regulator drawing too much current from a PCMCIA slot. Also, the BlueTooth/USB 2.0 cards have a MUCH better rep as far as failure rate vs the Twin USB cards (of which I had a 1.5 out of 6 DOA rate); that's why I felt confident in suggesting it.

The issue is trying to use USB as a power source, not as a data connection. As long as you're trying to use less than 100ma per port (ie USB mouse or KB, flash card reader, printer, etc) these AKE cards are fine. It's when you try to plug in things that draw serious current like WiFi/WWAN dongles, CDROMs, external HDDs, battery chargers, coffee cup warmers & back massagers (no, I'm NOT making those up) that these guys go thermonukular.

I STILL have the one I hacked into an internal USB 2.0 hub, and I still have the one I got that was 0.5 (One dead port) DOA. Somewhere. If I can find it, I'll pass it on to Arkor; it's about time I started giving back to the community again.



mnem
Back in the saddle again...