I've mentioned the InnoPlus PhotoTainer before in this blog. It was the very first 20GB portable media player that plays back MP3s, ripped DVD movies, and JPEG photos with its color screen and built-in loudspeaker. Because it was first designed to be a digital camera backup device, it has a CompactFlash slot. Oh, and it runs Linux.
(Unfortunately, the PhotoTainer suffers from poor battery life. In addition, it's not clear whether Korea-based InnoPlus still exists. The company has not updated the unit's firmware in more than six months.)
Some time ago, I wondered if the PhotoTainer would run longer if the music was playing off a CompactFlash memory card, rather than from the hard drive. This week I finally got around to testing this theory. I discharged the battery fully, and then fully recharged it. Then, I played music until the unit died.
The Results
1. Playing music off the hard drive - 2hr 30 min
2. Playing music off 512MB memory card - 3hr 40 min
About 50% longer playing time -- great for longish airplane trips! Next, I plan to time how long movie playback lasts, where the screen is on all the time.
Remember: For maximum playing time, it is important that the PhotoTainer battery be fully discharged before recharging. I learned this the hard way taking a flight from New Zealand to Canada. Much to my annoyance, it lasted just 3/4 hour -- because I had topped-up the battery the night before, instead of doing the deep discharge/recharge.
Comments