What to do??

Now that I have my Kodak EZ200 camera (no flash) working again (win98se vcache), I am in the mood for a decent digital camera. I've been going through the eBay listings, concentrating on ones in my June 2003 spendable money range. Well, I woke up in time for the scheduled weekly maintainance on eBay: 3 hours I can't explore the camera listings. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The story unfolded when I got a not enough memory error from Win98SE, when I tried to download pics from my camera. I tried everything I could think of, except downgrading my physical ram from 1 GB to 512 MB, including limiting vcache to 512 MB. Nothing worked. I now had a dilemma: get a camera that is supported by Mandrake Linux, or upgrade to XP Pro. While asking questions about XP Pro on WindowsBBS, I got the suggestion to try that 512 MB maxfilesize in vcache. Having tried that, I decided to try limiting it to only 128 MB. It worked, much to my surprise!

Now that I was out of near panic mode, I got to thinking: What was I thinking when I bought a digital camera without a flash?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif Probably it was all I could afford at the time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Mind you, I can't afford a really good digital camera, but, it will be a bunch better than Kodak's digital version of the venerable 110 mm Brownie Camera!

Why does upgrading computer hardware cost so much?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Charles Bradshaw said:
Why does upgrading computer hardware cost so much?? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I wish I knew Charles, I wish I knew... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

Well, I decided on a brand new Polaroid PDC 640 CF. This is the Compact Flash model, with both USB and serial interface. The Buy it Now listing includes a 16 MB CF card. $84.95 + $15.00 USPS Priority Mail, for a total of $99.95. (I paid a total of $85.15 for the Kodak EZ200).

This camera uses 4AAs, instead of 4AAAs, and has a color lcd or tft screen. more importantly, it has a flash. In theory, it should work with Mandrake Linux, as the PDC 640 is supported.

Now, if I can get a 512 MB CF card at a decent price (Sandisk), I will be all set. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I've got a Cannon PowerShot A40 which I'm really fond of. It's got USB that speaks to gphoto2 just fine (I had to hack an earlier version to get it to talk, but the new versions work out of the box). It uses CF, so you can always stick the card in an adapter and read the photos directly.

I have a 2 bay PCMCIA (I will no call it PCCARD) bay that fits in a 3.5" floppy bay and plugs into an ISA slot. It lets a desktop type machine have removable card slots--which comes in handy now and then. The adapters go for around $20 at hamfests that I've attended.

Got 128 + 128 + 256 cards for it and I haven't run out of space in a while. Pics at 1600x1200 come in around 1MB, so that's 512 photos. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Yeah, I'm used to film--cheap film, film by the 100's of feet..... *sniffle* Where have you gone my silver halide friend?

just ordered a 256k CF for $58. Any better deals out there?

The PDC 640 CF does 640x480 and 320x200. The only differences between it and the 640 and 640+ are the dual USB/Serial connection, and compact flash, instead of Smart Media. It has an internal memory of 2 Mb. The buy it now auction includes a 16 MB CF card for a total of 18 MB. If I replace the 16 MB card with a 512 MB card, the makes for loads of pics at 640x480.

Tiktok 22, check eBay listings for CF cards, there are some good deals to be had, if you don't get outbid.

Willmore, I don't have an ISA slot anymore. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif Unless there is something for PCI slot, oh well.