Those performance specs are actually for the 30GB FireLite. I don't have numbers for the 60GB off the top of my head, but it's actually a bit faster.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
well, they may be the specs for the 30gig but they are printed on the box here that lists a 60gig drive? ... oh, wait, the place that says 60GB is actually a sticker stuck on the box! Ok, so what are the real specs?!
Another question and far more disturbing: today the 60GB FireLite wouldn't mount on my Mac. It mounted before and I had copied some data to it but today it won't mount. The power light comes on (Blue SmartDisk icon) but the Yellow FireWire icon doesn't light up or flash at all which happened before when the disk mounted. When I opened Apple System Profiler it gives info saying that there is a smartdisk device connected but it wouldn't mount... no matter how many times i connected or disconnected it. (By the way, I always followed the advice of unmounting the disk in the finder before unplugging the firewire cable).
Now, that occured earlier today but now I have just connected the FireLite and it has miraculously mounted! So what was up with it earlier?
Quick question: now that I have the FireLite mounted can I format it for FAT32 from OS X (10.2.4) or do I need to do that from the PC? If I have to do it on the PC what app do I use on the PC?
edit: By the way, If I use Apple's Disk Utility and I go to format the drive I see nothing that refers to FAT32, only "MS-DOS File System". Is that the same thing?
Sorry, I'm useless when it comes to PC stuff! <img src="embarrassed.gif" border="0">
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to register for the AppleInsider boards. It is always nice to have developers that cater to the Mac Community share ideas and information with us. I, for one, really appreciate it.
[quote]well, they may be the specs for the 30gig but they are printed on the box here that lists a 60gig drive? <hr></blockquote>
We use the same box for every model, so the specs on the box are conservative. I suppose we could go into greater detail on the website, though. I'll mention it to the appropriate people.
[quote] today the 60GB FireLite wouldn't mount on my Mac.<hr></blockquote>
For whatever reason, OS X occasionally takes a very long time to mount dynamically-added disks on some systems. It's an intermittent problem that improves with every release... typically if you just wait it'll wake up. I actually saw a slim drive take five minutes to be recognized on a Cube once.
[quote]now that I have the FireLite mounted can I format it for FAT32 from OS X (10.2.4) or do I need to do that from the PC? If I have to do it on the PC what app do I use on the PC?<hr></blockquote>
I've trained myself to avoid formatting things as FAT using Disk Utility; sometimes it just doesn't work. If you're on Win2K or XP, there's actually a pretty nice 'Disk Management' section in the 'Computer Management' administrative tool. If you're on 98/Me you're stuck with the fdisk and format commands on the command line.
[quote]I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to register for the AppleInsider boards.<hr></blockquote>
I'm happy to be here. Just remember that I'm no substitute for our tech support team - I don't really keep up with messageboards and such as much as I'd like, so I tend to miss things. Don't count on me to see anything. (Besides, when I read AppleInsider I'm usually lurking on future hardware. Entertaining stuff.
Skirwan thank you for your detailed reply and don't worry, I understand that an AppleInsider forum is not Customer Support. Glad to have you aboard for the fun times!
Unfortunately I have to use Windows NT at work: do I have to use the command line to format on that or does it have the "disk management" administrative tool you mention above?
And being the Windows illiterate I am <img src="embarrassed.gif" border="0"> do you know exactly what I would have to type to format the disk (should I need to use the command line) or where I might find that information?
Been a while since I used NT 4 (been on w2k and XP for a while) nor do I use an external FW drive so caveat emptor... why wouldn't you just right click the drive icon (if it is already mounted in Windows) and choose format? Alternatively, to format it in DOS, just type format x: in the command prompt where x being the drive. And if memory serves me correctly, NT 4 does not support FAT32 natively, only NTFS and FAT16.
Given a choice, I would format the whole drive as FAT32 so that I can read natively using either Windows or Mac without additional software.
klinux thanks for your reply. There is some software that allows Fat32 formatted drives to run on Windows NT but unfortunately there is nothing I can find that allows Windows NT to recognise Firewire!
Does anyone know whether or not there are anyn unofficial drivers or hacks that allow Windows NT machines to use Firewire?
Firewire is not supported in NT4 natively. I am not aware of any shareware that can make NT recognize it too. Not surprising when you consider how old that OS is. Any chance of your upgrading to w2k or XP?
Another way is to take the HD out of its enclosure, attach it as a secondary IDE drive, format it, and then put it back to is enclosure.
Third way, find a friend who runs w2k or XP who has a FW port (all Sony desktop should have one) and ask that person to do it for you.
Thanks again klinux Well, I would gladly update to Windows XP or 2000 but unfortunately that decision is currently out of my control. The computing department at work has some serious power/authority issues and won't let anyone administer the machines except for themselves! :eek: So I am stuck with NT until they decide to upgrade... fortunately I was given a hint that they are thinking of upgrading sometime in the not too distant future.
Thanks for the advice on formatting the drive. This shouldn't be a problem I hope as I have an old windows laptop running 98SE which I can use to format the drive and as soon as I get a working power supply for the drive this will be done.
Unfortunately I haven't managed to get a DC adapter to work with the drive even though it looks like I have the right connector and am giving it 12V at 1Amp which the support guy at SmartDisk told me ought to work. So I may have to just buckle under and mailorder the Smartdisk power adapter which will set me back more than 3 times the cost of a generic DC adapter.
The fun continues! <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" />
Comments
<strong>A few notes:
- Those performance specs are actually for the 30GB FireLite. I don't have numbers for the 60GB off the top of my head, but it's actually a bit faster.
</strong><hr></blockquote>well, they may be the specs for the 30gig but they are printed on the box here that lists a 60gig drive? ... oh, wait, the place that says 60GB is actually a sticker stuck on the box! Ok, so what are the real specs?!
Another question and far more disturbing: today the 60GB FireLite wouldn't mount on my Mac.
Now, that occured earlier today but now I have just connected the FireLite and it has miraculously mounted! So what was up with it earlier?
[ 03-05-2003: Message edited by: Retrograde ]
[ 03-05-2003: Message edited by: Retrograde ]</p>
edit: By the way, If I use Apple's Disk Utility and I go to format the drive I see nothing that refers to FAT32, only "MS-DOS File System". Is that the same thing?
Sorry, I'm useless when it comes to PC stuff! <img src="embarrassed.gif" border="0">
[ 03-05-2003: Message edited by: Retrograde ]</p>
<strong>
Sean Kerwin
Senior Developer, SmartDisk</strong><hr></blockquote>
I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to register for the AppleInsider boards.
We use the same box for every model, so the specs on the box are conservative. I suppose we could go into greater detail on the website, though. I'll mention it to the appropriate people.
[quote] today the 60GB FireLite wouldn't mount on my Mac.<hr></blockquote>
For whatever reason, OS X occasionally takes a very long time to mount dynamically-added disks on some systems. It's an intermittent problem that improves with every release... typically if you just wait it'll wake up. I actually saw a slim drive take five minutes to be recognized on a Cube once.
[quote]now that I have the FireLite mounted can I format it for FAT32 from OS X (10.2.4) or do I need to do that from the PC? If I have to do it on the PC what app do I use on the PC?<hr></blockquote>
I've trained myself to avoid formatting things as FAT using Disk Utility; sometimes it just doesn't work. If you're on Win2K or XP, there's actually a pretty nice 'Disk Management' section in the 'Computer Management' administrative tool. If you're on 98/Me you're stuck with the fdisk and format commands on the command line.
[quote]I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to register for the AppleInsider boards.<hr></blockquote>
I'm happy to be here. Just remember that I'm no substitute for our tech support team - I don't really keep up with messageboards and such as much as I'd like, so I tend to miss things. Don't count on me to see anything. (Besides, when I read AppleInsider I'm usually lurking on future hardware. Entertaining stuff.
Unfortunately I have to use Windows NT at work: do I have to use the command line to format on that or does it have the "disk management" administrative tool you mention above?
And being the Windows illiterate I am <img src="embarrassed.gif" border="0"> do you know exactly what I would have to type to format the disk (should I need to use the command line) or where I might find that information?
<strong>The older VST models haven't been manufactured for quite some time now. Our current desktop drives are <a href="http://www.smartdisk.com/Products/Storage Products/Hard Drives/DesktopHardDrives.asp" target="_blank">here</a>.
</strong><hr></blockquote>
Thank You for the Information!
(I don't like the new style of the disks. I like the old ones the most:
Beautiful !!!)
Do I have to use the command line to format a drive for FAT32 on Windows NT?
Does anyone know what I need to type to format a 60GB drive as Fat32?
Given a choice, I would format the whole drive as FAT32 so that I can read natively using either Windows or Mac without additional software.
Does anyone know whether or not there are anyn unofficial drivers or hacks that allow Windows NT machines to use Firewire?
Another way is to take the HD out of its enclosure, attach it as a secondary IDE drive, format it, and then put it back to is enclosure.
Third way, find a friend who runs w2k or XP who has a FW port (all Sony desktop should have one) and ask that person to do it for you.
Thanks for the advice on formatting the drive. This shouldn't be a problem I hope as I have an old windows laptop running 98SE which I can use to format the drive and as soon as I get a working power supply for the drive this will be done.
Unfortunately I haven't managed to get a DC adapter to work with the drive even though it looks like I have the right connector and am giving it 12V at 1Amp which the support guy at SmartDisk told me ought to work. So I may have to just buckle under and mailorder the Smartdisk power adapter which will set me back more than 3 times the cost of a generic DC adapter.
The fun continues! <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" />