Yet another thread about P2 PCMCIA cards and incompatible Mac Pros

[Christopher Drews]

So... When will there be a reasonable solution for desktops?
We've got a homerun for MacBook Pro with Duel Adapter (I own 2).
I also own the Amtron P2 Reader (in a PC with giga ethernet to Mac- faster than Duel Adapter)

There's still is a void in this market... and no, Panasonic can go to heck with what they charge for their firewire 5 bay deals.

Where is the PCIe to PCMCIA card reader for Intel Mac?
Can I rig my Amtron with a PCIe to PCI 33mhz converter?

-C

[Tom Klein]

Hi Christopher,

Amtron does work in the Intel Macpro, but kext files not stable as yet, Sonnett has the best solution to date now, I believe it's a great innovative product..
It will take P2 forward on the Intel Mac's and also has many other features that will give other suppliers a real shake up.

read about it here, I have put some info on my site...will ship in july I'm told.

O-line Video Productions - P2 Sonnet Qio, Card Reader

Cheers

[Tom Klein]

Just figured out pic up load..
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/attachmen...1&d=1241779632
Cheers
Tom K
olinevideo.com.au

[Christopher Drews]

Tom,
I just visited your site. Nice information about various P2 designs.
Please talk in terms of kext stability in 10.5. Are you getting kernel panics when you install pci-bridge driver? I've been following a thread on another website with a Chinese software developer who might have created a workaround - yet some people report panics.

Thanks,
-C

[Tom Klein]

Originally Posted by Christopher Drews

Tom,
I just visited your site. Nice information about various P2 designs.
Please talk in terms of kext stability in 10.5. Are you getting kernel panics when you install pci-bridge driver? I've been following a thread on another website with a Chinese software developer who might have created a workaround - yet some people report panics.

Thanks,
-C

Hi Christopher,

yes, you maybe touching on what i've been thru now for many months experimenting with various kexts in leopard, I had it nearly sorted and then ka-pow, Apple changed the ball game in the 10.5.6 update.
I'm back at the video bench for a break, and waiting with baited breath for the Sonnet Qio reader, it will be out soon, Sonnet have the resources to have a driver/kext produced and to have it tested/supported to 100% performance.
I have only achieved 99% stability with the driver/kext using the Amtron and the PCIe to PCI adapter card. This Hardware combination works on the Intel Macpro I know that for a Fact, it's the driver/kext that is the issue, I conclude Leopard OS sucks in comparison to Tiger OS as far as PC card connection goes.

Do you know of any "Out of work" Apple developers who want some work writing a kext ??

Cheers

[Christopher Drews]

Hah - Well this fellow isn't out of work. His name is Chun Nan and he re-rewrote IOPCMCIAFamily.kext - which some report to be stable is 10.5.6 (10.5.7 is a different story). As with any testing like this, always use a system that doesn't matter and use timemachine regularly.

The details are here, although you have to sift through 51 pages.
Good luck.
-C

[Tom Klein]

Hi Christopher,

Yes, been there done that over many months , he is very clever indeed, but not enough to provide a stable kext, I have tried his and many others, all are close, but not 100% and can make your OS unstable.
You have to be an expert on Apple Xcode tools to produce, test , and de-bug a kext, a very very expensive and very time comsuming task, I can assure you of that, I spent some weeks full time on learning xcode and building/modifing many kexts, I achieved 99% but that is not good enough.
Apple development is also very expensive, frustrating, and painful, (just like a trip to the dentist) and even if you achieved success, when an OS update comes out (and that is very often these days) it can wipe out all your efforts and dollars...then your back to square one.
Take a look at Apple Developer costs for yourself, I am a paid up ADC member but dealing with Apple ADC was in my experience a futile exercise. they love taking your money, that was all I achieved with them.

Apple Developer Connection - ADC Products - ADC Memberships

If P2 cards were expresscards then it would be a totally different story..but they are not..

Cheers

[Jan Crittenden Livingston]

Originally Posted by Tom Klein

If P2 cards were expresscards then it would be a totally different story..but they are not..

Hi Tom,
This is an interesting statement and I am not sure I understand what you mean by it.

Secondly, this product that you are proposing looks very interesting. Have you an established sales channel in place for the US?

Best regards,

Jan

[Tom Klein]

Originally Posted by Jan Crittenden Livingston

Hi Tom,
This is an interesting statement and I am not sure I understand what you mean by it.

Secondly, this product that you are proposing looks very interesting. Have you an established sales channel in place for the US?

Best regards,

Jan

Hello Jan,
I meant that Expresscard connection is the current card favoured connector with makers, and that PCMCIA card connection is not. nothing sinister about that comment, sorry if it came across that way to you.

The Sonnet team are bringing out this Multiple card reader very soon(The QIO), not me, But, may I say I'm more than happy to see a product that is a truly "Universal" card reader with the bonus of having eSATA ports as well, with PCIe Intel Mac connection..and is priced well.
I have tried many options with P2 card readers (as you can see on my web site) with some success and some not so, achieving a workable solution for the Intel Mac has been my passion/quest, but now Sonnet has a great solution with the "QIO" I believe.

I'm looking forward to doing P2 transfer tests with the QIO as soon as mine arrives.

PS, Thanks to Panasonic for still supporting my SPX800 with ability to use the newest E-series card.
Cheers