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DuelSystems adapter with Windows laptop
Hi all:
My company is considering purchasing a Windows laptop for non-video production related duties, but I’m thinking of picking one that has an ExpressCard slot, so that we can also use it to dump P2 cards in a pinch. Which lead me to research PCMCIA-Express Card adapters…
A friend of mine bought a couple of years ago the Addonics adapter for her PC, and it worked great for her, but from what I’ve read, it seems that it doesn’t work well with the new E-series cards. As for the Duel Systems adapter, all the information I can find is about using it on Macs. I’m aware of its problems there, and specially of its lack of support under Snow Leopard, but what I’d like to know is: how well does it perform under Windows? Does it read E-series cards without problems? Do the drivers for Windows XP and Vista work properly? Etc.
(Other more expensive options. like the Sonnet or the Panasonic USB reader, are out of the question because they are too expensive; as I said, I’m looking for a backup solution that can serve us just in case, not as our primary P2 card reader).
Thanks in advance,
Paulo.
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11 Replies
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[Paulo Jan] “Other more expensive options. like the Sonnet or the Panasonic USB reader, are out of the question because they are too expensive; as I said, I’m looking for a backup solution that can serve us just in case, not as our primary P2 card reader)”
Then why not get a laptop with a PCMCIA slot?
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Do they still make those?
(The laptop will be used primarily for other stuff, for which we’d prefer to get a new laptop, not an old second-hand one with PCMCIA, if that’s what you mean).
Paulo.
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[Paulo Jan] ” if that’s what you mean”
I did mean that, kinda.
With windows, there’s a lot more options when it comes to PCMCIA to Express34 adapters. You should be just fine, even without the duel. The thing with the duel was that it actually had (for a while) Mac drivers while everything else doesn’t.
Jeremy
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The Panasonic USB P2 reader is not that expensive. And a big advantage is you can use it with a laptop or desktop system. We’ve been using the Duel for years without a problem, but those times we need to off-load a card in the studio we have to drag out the laptop, hook up the Duel and a drive, then move the drive over to the edit system. It’s a pain! With the reader, you just plug it into 2 USB ports and you’re good to go. And, I believe I’ve read it’s a lot faster than the Duel. We’ll be adding one soon.
John
MacPro 8-core 2.8GHz 8 GB RAM OS 10.5.8 QT7.6.4 Kona 3 Dual Cinema 23 ATI Radeon HD 3870, 24″ TV-Logic Monitor, ATTO ExpressSAS R380 RAID Adapter, PDE enclosure with 8-drive 6TB RAID 5
FCS 3 (FCP 7.0.2, Motion 4.0.2, Comp 3.5.2, DVDSP 4.2.2, Color 1.5.2)Pro Tools HD w SYNC IO & 192 Digital I/O, Yamaha DM1000, Millennia Media HV-3C, Neumann U87, Schoeps Mk41 mics, Genelec Monitors, PrimaLT ISDN
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+1 for older PC with PCMCIA card or Powerbook, or Panasonic single card reader.
-100 for Duel Adapter- it is basically junk and no longer even attempting to be properly supported…-Noah
Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
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Well, I already have one DuelAdapter (for my personal use, not for my employer), and it works quite well with my Macbook Pro (on Leopard). I’ve never had any problems with it (though I haven’t used it intensively either), and this is why I was thinking of one for the new laptop.
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I think you maybe the first person to not have a problem with the duel. But when they worked they were fast, the USB Panny will be slow. It is USB, it will max out at about 1GB/minute. The Duel did 2-3 GB/minute.
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Well it is abandonware in Snow Leopard- so if you’re planning to use it on a newer Mac it’s not going to happen. Hence -100.
Noah
Check out my book: RED: The Ultimate Guide to Using the Revolutionary Camera!
Unlock the secrets of 24p, HD and Final Cut Studio with Call Box Training. Featuring the Sony EX1 Guidebook, Panasonic HVX200, Canon EOS 5D Mark II and Canon 7D.
Learn DSLR Cinematography. -
Yeah, I’m also surprised at the amount of people reporting problems with the Duel. There was a time (back when I was first researching this stuff, 3 years ago) when it was recommended as the best solution for MacbookPros with ExpressCard…
I don’t use mine very frequently; I have perhaps one shoot every 3 months where I have to use it, and I’ve never had any problems. As for Snow Leopard, my understanding was that Apple had ripped all support for PCMCIA in the OS, which made it impossible for them to write drivers for it. If lack of support on Macs is the biggest problem, I guess I can live with it
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Definitely not the best, only the cheapest.
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