"Matt Dainty" <matt@bodgit-n-scarper.com> wrote in message 
news:1108940403.3737.15.camel@lister.bodgit-n-scarper.com...
> On Sun, 2005-02-20 at 16:32, Andy Ruhl wrote:
>> On Sun, 20 Feb 2005 14:47:48 +0000, Matt Dainty
>> <matt@bodgit-n-scarper.com> wrote:
>> > On Sun, 2005-02-20 at 14:34, Andy Ruhl wrote:
>> > > Note that it
>> > > might still work if you use a CF card reader in the PCMCIA slot...
>> >
>> > ICBW but I thought that CF and PCMCIA are basically the same technology
>> > such that a CF->PCMCIA adapter is merely altering the connector.
>> > Certainly the two adapters I have were so cheap I can't believe they
>> > have any IDE/ATA logic in them.
>>
>> Hmm...
>>
>> Based on reading about the drives, I *think* it's possible that some
>> PCMCIA to CF adapters are capable of doing this. Maybe these are newer
>> cardbus adapters though, don't know. People are reporting that they
>> work, anyway. Don't know which ones.
>
> Possible, never seen a cardbus one myself.
>
>> USB card readers apparently are capable, because to work around being
>> accused of selling stuff that doesn't work, some of these people
>> selling these Seagate drives with "incompatible" firmware are
>> including USB card readers with the drives to prove that they work.
>
> A USB reader has more chance, but then all USB readers I've used can't
> do anything with non-storage CF cards, such as WiFi, Bluetooth, etc.
> which JFW in a CF->PCMCIA sleeve which convinces me even more that it's
> just connecting the pins up.
>
> Matt

From an inside source within Creative Labs, I heard that the Hitachi drives 
in earlier Zen players were not "locked", and ppl were getting players just 
to rip them up for a cheap microdrives. The newer models are "locked", 
whether by Hitachi to protect their microdrive market or on request by 
Creative to gain market share in the mp3 market and not just end up selling 
players for ripping apart.