This is Joseph. An overview of file system is given below (according to my knoledge). NTFS is listed as well:
FAT (File Allocation Table) FAT and FAT32 are in the same family of file system called FAT, or File Allocation Table. This file system is the simplest file system, and it is supported by most of the devices today. It is the file system used by MS-DOS, Windows 9X (Windows 95, 98, ME). It is supported by Windows 2000 and XP. There are 3 versions: FAT12: this is the file system used by floppy disks. FAT16: this is the most common file system. Many devices up to 2 GB (2048 MB, or roughly 2 billion characters). This is the file system that is used by Windows CE devices and memory cards up to 2 GB. SD cards and CD cards are usually formatted with this file system. FAT32: This is the most common file system for hard drives. Devices larger than 2 GB are formatted with FAT32. Windows CE supports this system as well. The limit is 2 TB or Terabyte (it is actually 2048 GB, or 2 trillion characters). FAT32 is sloghtly efficient than FAT16, but it takes a lot amount of disk space thanks to the allocation unit, or clusters. Also, the size is also reported incorrectly. You can format up to 32 GB on Windows 2000 and XP, although there is a method whre you can create FAT32 volumes that is larger than 32 GB. NTFS (New Technology File /System): This system is Windows NT family's default file system. It is slightly efficient than FAT, but it is quite slow. This file system is not recognized by Windows CE. XFAT: Another family of FAT, except that it is only availible from Windows Vista. I hope this information may help you. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Richard Ehrler Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 10:59 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Braillenote] USB storage anda few other questions Hello Alex, I can't really say for the CF and SD cards but on that 40 or 80 GB hard drive, fat32 is the only real option because fat is limited to 2 GB for any logical drive. FAT32 can format up to about 2 terabytes, (2,000 GB). On a computer you could, in theory, partition the drive into a whole bunch of logical drives instead of one big physical drive but I don't know what our note takers would see then. Don't know if they could access any more than the first logical drive but maybe one of the others on this list could answer that question. I don't know how the CF and SD cards are handled but if the same as a hard drive, then the smaller ones would be fine with fat but those more than about 512 MB might have more efficient storage if done as fat32 to reduce slack space waste. Slack space is the part of a cluster above the actual file contents. For example, if you have a hard drive cluster size of 32 KB and you are storing a small text file like autoexec.bat which might be only a couple hundred bytes long, then all of the rest of the cluster used to store that small file is just wasted. Richard On 2006-03-01 [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: Hello List: I am considering getting a Western Digital HD for my BNMPBT. My friend has one, and I have used it a few times (it is 60 or 80 GB). Whenever I try to get information about it by pressing SPACE with I in the drive list, the unit locks up and will only recover if I disconnect the HD. Any suggestions? Next, what file system works best for not only USB, but CF or SD as well: FAT or FAT32? Is one better for one type of media? I don't want to try it with that HD because I doubt my friend would appreciate me erasing all his data. ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote ___ To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
