QL-SD

[tofro]

It's a pity that the weedy unexpanded QL can't really benefit from a QL-SD as I think that's where more customers would be.

I tried using an unexpanded QL recently. Amazing how utterly unusable it was, especially without TK2. I think a Trump Card or 640kb expansion is the least a QL should have.

Second that. An unexpanded QL is not much more than a plain 48k Spectrum (measured by the amount of stuff you can do) - some years ago, if you had one, you had to basically live with it, because expansions were apparently made of Unobtanium. Tetroid has done Miracles to that situation, and there's no real reason to torture yourself.

Tobias

[tofro]

I'm equipped with all the QL-SDs I will probably need for the rest of my life, so my vote probably shouldn't count, but:

I think the size of the SD cards used as storage is relatively irrelevant - All of the SD cards I recently bought were both sizes (Micro SDs in an adapter). Accepted it's a bit fiddly to find the mislaid adapter just when you need it, but more relevant is the internal/external and 1 slot/2 slot layout.

I'm have been experimenting with SDIO cards like the Toshiba FlashAir for some time now, giving QL-SD access to WLAN and peer-to-peer networking - Those can generally be had as large-size cards only, so must be kept in mind as well.

Tobias

[Peter]

Let‘s say I can produce it for 15€ total (the central chip alone costs 5-8€), that leaves me with 15€. Minus the income tax I‘m at maybe 8€ „profit“ (note that none of my work is paid at this point).

Only very rich persons with over half a million € per year pay such a percentage of income tax in Germany. As single.

And of course, the profit one makes, does pay for work. Maybe not enough to be motivating, but it does.

[mk79]

Only very rich persons with over half a million € a year pay such a percentage of income tax in Germany. As single.

That's the point you want to make here? Fine, my quick in-the-head calculation that I typed into the phone while going to bed was probably off by 2€. I have something like 10,60€ in the end, not 8€, because I'm married and don't earn 500.000€. Happy?

[stephen_usher]

Hi,

I have changed my vote, after a little thought, I think with ful size SDHC cards would be better. As stated above this gives compatibility with other QL based systems, like the Q68 which has 2 SDHC Slots, PC with QPC2/ SMSQmulator. Also all my PCs and laptop have full size SD Slots.

So my vote is for 1 and 4

The SD cards you buy now are invariably microSD cards with an adapter anyway, so it makes absolutely no difference.

[stephen_usher]

I'm have been experimenting with SDIO cards like the Toshiba FlashAir for some time now, giving QL-SD access to WLAN and peer-to-peer networking - Those can generally be had as large-size cards only, so must be kept in mind as well.

Tobias

(Off-topic)
So, you can hijack the LAN interface and use them as general purpose WiFi cards?

[Peter]

The SD cards you buy now are invariably microSD cards with an adapter anyway, so it makes absolutely no difference.

I experienced the practical difference when interchanging cards between Q68 and Q Zero. Often taking the microSD card in and out of the adaptor is quite annyoing compared to just moving an SD card from socket to socket. I ended up designing a little baseboard to get the normal SD card socket for the Q Zero again.

It is less relevant if both sides are microSD. But still SD cards have the advantage of room for labelling and easier handling for older guys like myself.

[tofro]

I'm have been experimenting with SDIO cards like the Toshiba FlashAir for some time now, giving QL-SD access to WLAN and peer-to-peer networking - Those can generally be had as large-size cards only, so must be kept in mind as well.

Tobias

(Off-topic)
So, you can hijack the LAN interface and use them as general purpose WiFi cards?

Not quite that easy. But, in principle, they allow a QL access to a WiFi network. It can send packets via SD-IO to the CPU on the FlashAir, which will forward them to the outside world, and vice versa.

Tobias

[Peter]

Second that. An unexpanded QL is not much more than a plain 48k Spectrum (measured by the amount of stuff you can do)

I actually had a plain 48k Spectrum. Loading programs from tape was a pain. The rubber keyboard was a pain. Text processing with 256 pixels, resulting in 3 pixel width characters was utter pain. Trying even one microdrive at a friend's Spectrum felt like enormous luxury. When my brother got a QL, and I had a first experience of Psion Suite, SuperBASIC, double screen resolution, SER to attach a printer, an almost normal keyboard, multitasking, and even two microdrives it felt like night and day.

[bixio60]

I'm have been experimenting with SDIO cards like the Toshiba FlashAir for some time now, giving QL-SD access to WLAN and peer-to-peer networking - Those can generally be had as large-size cards only, so must be kept in mind as well.

Tobias

(Off-topic)
So, you can hijack the LAN interface and use them as general purpose WiFi cards?

Not quite that easy. But, in principle, they allow a QL access to a WiFi network. It can send packets via SD-IO to the CPU on the FlashAir, which will forward them to the outside world, and vice versa.

Tobias

Hi Tobias,
quite interesting the possibility to use of WIFI SD, I suppose the use of them is possible only on emulators? or someway can be used between Q68<->Q60?
Can you please better explain how to use them in QL environment?

Many thanks
Fabrizio