[Kupe]

And it'd be fairly simple to create a flash drive that took a AAA battery. Pop in an eneloop and you'd be good to go for quite a while.

So simple, it's done all the time. Oh wait - not it's not. So you're saying instead of including a microSD slot (common in today's phones) it makes more sense to have fixed memory in the phone and the need to carry around a kludged-together memory device? Were you on the Foleo design team, perchance?

[dbpaddler]

I'd prefe to have a mSD slot. I've actually been quite vocal about it. Why don't you learn to read more than one post in a thread or yet multiple threads genius. The point is since we don't have an mSD slot it should at least have USB host capabilities. And Seagate created a battery opperated bluetooth drive. So yeah, the idea is around. Many have used external drives on internet tablets. If something the size of your finger can be tossed in a work bag in case you lose info that's not backed up to the cloud for one reason or another, I see it as possibly being a good thing.

[Reeves]

If something the size of your finger can be tossed in a work bag in case you lose info that's not backed up to the cloud for one reason or another, I see it as possibly being a good thing.

Why would you lose any info stored on the Pre's hard drive in the first place?

[jbg7474]

And Seagate created a battery opperated bluetooth drive. So yeah, the idea is around. Many have used external drives on internet tablets. If something the size of your finger can be tossed in a work bag in case you lose info that's not backed up to the cloud for one reason or another, I see it as possibly being a good thing.

Oooh, this gives me an idea. What about a bluetooth headset with a microSD card slot? That would be pretty cool. Although, I don't know how fast microSD data transfer can be, so I don't know whether the relatively slow BT link would be a limitation or not.

[Scott_L]

What about a bluetooth headset with a microSD card slot?

I was discussing this possibility with a coworker last week. It would be very cool and without much added bulk to some models, but battery drain on both the headset and the phone came up as a concern. We figured such an item may actually come out though - and Palm may have already figured that out as a way to make more cash.

Another option was a BT device you would carry in your pocket or on a keychain that would do the same thing. There are so many options for this type of external component.

[jhox29]

Another option was a BT device you would carry in your pocket or on a keychain that would do the same thing. There are so many options for this type of external component.

So let me see if I've got this straight: We don't have room for even a microSD card slot, we don't seem to have great hardware or software support for a microUSB port flash drive, so that leaves BT for how to connect to our little mobile storage device that can carry around a couple of dozen gigs for our movies and backups. Is BT speedy enough for this?

...I like the way this is heading.

[Kupe]

Is BT speedy enough for this?

BT 2.0 theoretical max throughput: 2.1 Mbps
USB 2.0 Theoretical max throughput: 480 Mbps
MicroSD theoretical max transfer rate: 20 MBps (or 160 Mbps)

With BT vs MicroSD on a USB 2.0 port, the USB-connected MicroSD will be as much as 80 times faster (theoretically) than a Bluetooth connected device. There really isn't a comparison.

FWIW, EVDO theoretical max throughput is 2.4 Mbps, but we've all seen what it really is in practice. BT simply is not the solution to moving around data in multi-gigabyte chunks.

Why don't you learn to read more than one post in a thread or yet multiple threads genius. The point is since we don't have an mSD slot it should at least have USB host capabilities.

I was responding to your USB host point. I think it's funny you tried to distract from the ridiculousness of your USB host post by referencing other, generally unrelated posts.

[jhox29]

BT 2.0 theoretical max throughput: 2.1 Mbps
USB 2.0 Theoretical max throughput: 480 Mbps
MicroSD theoretical max transfer rate: 20 MBps (or 160 Mbps)

With BT vs MicroSD on a USB 2.0 port, the USB-connected MicroSD will be as much as 80 times faster (theoretically) than a Bluetooth connected device. There really isn't a comparison.

What about infrared? What about any other medium used for wireless syncing? In other words why limit mobile storage to a physical connection that there just doesn't seem to be room for on the Pre?

Thoughts? Opinions? Snide remarks?