P2 card reader for iMac

[Shane Ross]

Sorry man…the only options for reading a P2 card are:

– PC with a PCMCIA slot
– Powerbook with PCMCIA slot
– MacBook Pro with Express34 slot and Duel Systems adapter (PCMCIA to Express34)
– 5 card P2 reader
– P2 Store
– Camera
– Several MORE expensive P2 readers from Panasonic

Shane

Littlefrog Post
http://www.lfhd.net

[Sam Moulton]

that sucks…

[Barry Green]

As for Panasonic products: any of the cameras can be used as a reader, and the P2 Mobile and P2 Gear can be used as a reader, and the PCD20 and P2 Store can be used as slot readers too.

For non-Panasonic products, there are PCMCIA->ExpressCard adapters for laptops from Duel Systems ($119) and Addonics ($69). And there are PCMCIA->PCI adapters available from many manufacturers for $75 – $150, but I don’t know of any with Mac drivers.

For an iMac, you don’t have slots, so the PCMCIA->PCI adapter wouldn’t be an option, and no ExpressCard slot means the cheap Duel and Addonics adapters are ruled out too. Your options are USB or Firewire/FW800, which means a Panasonic product as in the first category. Of those products, the least expensive is the P2 Store, but that’s USB-only. You’ll get notably better performance from the 5-slot P2 Drive PCD20, using FW800.

[Ken Summerall]

[Barry Green] “For non-Panasonic products, there are PCMCIA->ExpressCard adapters for laptops from Duel Systems ($119) and Addonics ($69).”

Barry you got me so excited then I went to the addonics website and read this fine print…”Under Mac OS X, Panasonic P2 cards are currently not supported with this adapter.”

Rats, foiled again.

K

[Steve Eisen]

Wiebetech (www.wiebetech.com) has a PCMCIA adapter that attaches to their ComboDock. The ComboDock attaches to your Mac via FW800. Total cost is about $260.

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Director-At-Large
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Brooks Moore]

Steve,
Have you used this, and does it work. I could not find the PCMCIA adapter on the Wiebetech website.
Thanks

[Steve Eisen]

I have not used it. But I swear by their products. I use the ComboDock and have the SATA adapter and it works flawlessly.

https://www.wiebetech.com/products/ComboDock.php

https://www.wiebetech.com/products/v4_adapters.php

Contact there Technical Support for 100% compatibility.

Steve Eisen
Eisen Video Productions
Director-At-Large
Chicago Final Cut Pro Users Group

[Barry Green]

I doubt that would work; no USB adapter works as the adapters have to be specifically engineered to work with P2 cards.

But if it would work, that could be a $250 option for FW800 importing of cards. Steve, you feel like “taking one for the team” and ordering the PC Card option to see if it’d work? 😉

[Bryce Lansing]

I have a Mac Pro.. Would I be able to use something in my PCI slots for P2 cards?

[Bryce Lansing]

I have a Mac Pro.. Would I be able to use something in my PCI slots for P2 cards?