OK, I think I'm gonna install a card reader in 2KXL...

I have just put one in my MPC2000XL yesterday. Works like a charm!!!

Ordered it directly from the manufacturer:
http://www.amtron.com/reader/iisdmc.htm

If you choose the 2nd day Fedex it will be a bit pricey with shipping (it came to about $66, but I needed it before this weekend.

I'v just ordered another one from them for a friend of mine with FedEx ground and it shoud be about $60. You may find them a few bucks cheaper elsewhere, but since those guys make them I thought I'll just buy it from them in case I have some questions (which I did not)

Install was a piece of cake:
1. Changed the jumper from 1/2 to 3/4 position (for MASTER, as shown in their manual.
2. Soldered the 2 power wires red to red and black to black from a connector salvaged from a computer.
3. Plugged everything back (using OS 1.14)
4. Formatted 1GB CF on MPC in two 1/2 GB partitions
5. Everything works like a charm.

Had a heart stopping moment when I loaded OS 1.20 from a floppy before the upgrade. MPC lit up like a Christmas tree and kept asking me to insert a disk. I guess OS 1.20 did not know what to do with the floppy inside instead of the Media card reader. After a moment of panic I inserted OS 1.14 which loaded fine, but when when MPC was switched again it would still ask for a disk (since OS was flashed with 1.20 it was loading 1.14 from a floppy). Anyway. Not to take any chances. I loaded the 1.14 again. Flashed it again as 1.14 and for now am running it as such. If I feel like experimenting I will reflash from a CF card with 1.20. I have 1.14 on a harddisk as well, but am not sure if it will let me boot from a hard disk.
This is sort of a warning for those who might have a similar experience... not to panic. Things can be fixed

Thanks for all the help you guys have given me here!!! I don't think I would have had gut to attempt to do it without your help.

Tad

How does loading times and the general speed of the drive compare to a ZIP drive? i have just ordered one of these drives at the moment because of the slowness of floppys and zips.. its time for a Card Reader

Much faster ...for me anyway. I had a Zip 100 then a Zip 250 in there before.

Also much faster for me, also like the fact that its silent in operation.

Comparable to an external hard drive.

And much easier to use (no cables)

T.

Tadmen wrote:Comparable to an external hard drive.

And much easier to use (no cables)

T.

You tadmen, I just placed an order for one of these on friday, and they havent e-mailed me back or anything. How long did it take for them to respond to your order?

They emailed me a day or two later, but the thing was already on the way, anyway!
I placed my first order last Tuesday and chose Fedex 2nd day and got the item last Friday at noon, so they shipped it Wedesday and it took two days to reach me. I got kinda worried, as they only sent my one email saying your order is being processed. So I sent them two emails (to their sales dept.: one last Wednesday (no respose), one last Thursday (I got response from them last Friday with a FedEx tracking number and a message that they shipped it last Wednesday... by then the package had already arrived). So in my opinion I wouldn't bother them but would wait, but it's just my opinion, don't shoot me if it doesn't work for ya It seems they are a small outfit, but their products definitely work great!!!

As a matter of fact I ordered another IISDMC from them on Sunday for a friend of mine (now I feel like a pro installing them ), and I haven't got any response from them either. This time, though, I ordered it as as FedEx ground, as there is no rush.

Like I said the first package came fast as it should have and that's all I can say and I did order another one from them. Anything else, just call them if you're worried. They have a listed phone number.

Hope this helps

T.

oops.

mrcrappypantson wrote:I found this http://store.compuapps.com/ide7alcare.html

It fits midicases specs that will work for a 2000xl with an existing zip.

Ordered it and I'll let you all know if it works.

so did this one work or have you even got it yet? its much cheaper that the 1 on the top of the 3rd page and it comes in black to match up to my blue mpc.

Tadmen wrote:They emailed me a day or two later, but the thing was already on the way, anyway!
I placed my first order last Tuesday and chose Fedex 2nd day and got the item last Friday at noon, so they shipped it Wedesday and it took two days to reach me. I got kinda worried, as they only sent my one email saying your order is being processed. So I sent them two emails (to their sales dept.: one last Wednesday (no respose), one last Thursday (I got response from them last Friday with a FedEx tracking number and a message that they shipped it last Wednesday... by then the package had already arrived). So in my opinion I wouldn't bother them but would wait, but it's just my opinion, don't shoot me if it doesn't work for ya It seems they are a small outfit, but their products definitely work great!!!

As a matter of fact I ordered another IISDMC from them on Sunday for a friend of mine (now I feel like a pro installing them ), and I haven't got any response from them either. This time, though, I ordered it as as FedEx ground, as there is no rush.

Like I said the first package came fast as it should have and that's all I can say and I did order another one from them. Anything else, just call them if you're worried. They have a listed phone number.

Hope this helps

T.

Props on the response man. For some reason I was thinking when they saw a c.o.d order to regina saskatchewan they were like"this has to be a joke". Oh well Ima get my money in case this ish gets here and I havent even heard back from em.

It may be a bit more expensive for them to ship to Canada, though.

Just a thought. You may send them email to verify, so there are no surprises... It still is international order, unfortunately, last time I checked

T.

mrcrappypantson wrote:I found this http://store.compuapps.com/ide7alcare.html

It fits midicases specs that will work for a 2000xl with an existing zip.

Ordered it and I'll let you all know if it works.

This didn't work so don't buy it. I'll stop being a guinea pig now....

mrcrappypantson wrote:

mrcrappypantson wrote:I found this http://store.compuapps.com/ide7alcare.html

It fits midicases specs that will work for a 2000xl with an existing zip.

Ordered it and I'll let you all know if it works.

This didn't work so don't buy it. I'll stop being a guinea pig now....

Oh well, you could always put it in your pc instead for transfering to/from the MPC (when you get a card reader thats compatible)

Dynamis wrote:

mrcrappypantson wrote:

mrcrappypantson wrote:I found this http://store.compuapps.com/ide7alcare.html

It fits midicases specs that will work for a 2000xl with an existing zip.

Ordered it and I'll let you all know if it works.

This didn't work so don't buy it. I'll stop being a guinea pig now....

Oh well, you could always put it in your pc instead for transfering to/from the MPC (when you get a card reader thats compatible)

No doubt. I use a Mac though....

if i were to buy this one mentioned on midi case [ http://www.addonics.com/products/flash_ ... idrive.asp ] which option at the bottom would i need if i allready have an internal zip installed on my xl? basically, will i need the IDE to Serial ATA converter? do i need to know anything about an ATAPI interface?