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Originally Posted by Automaton
From what I read in this thread, WM5Storage is not compatible with WM6. I have a WM6 phone. The only option I have seen for WM6 is "Card Export" which is $14.95.
As you stated, Windows XP supports USB storage devices natively. That is not the issue. The issue is that the USB storage device inside my phone does not present itself as such to the operating system. There are many USB devices with built in storage that DO present themselves as USB storage devices to the OS. I have a camera, a flash drive, and an MP3 player that do. Imagine having to install full client software (not just a driver) on every computer you wanted to use your USB flash drive on. That would defeat the whole point because you would need to carry an installation CD on you at all times and get permission to install the program on the host computer even though you may only use it one time.
I assumed that something as computer-like and data-centric as a WM6 PDA would present itself as a USB storage device. The solution they provide (ActiveSync) is just as unacceptabe as having to lug around and install a client software CD for your USB flash drive. Actually It's worse because ActiveSync does not truly mount your device as a local drive. You can't even execute programs off of it for example.
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I think you misunderstand the whole concept here.
You DID IN FACT used to have to install a driver on every computer that you plug your flash drive onto!!
It was a few years ago, when USB ports first became standard, and many people don't know that because flash drives didn't become popular until AFTERWARDS they included it in popular OSs.
Now, you seem to think USB mass storage mode is a "given", than any usb device can work like this.
Quote:
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The issue is that the USB storage device inside my phone does not present itself as such to the operating system.
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It doesn't work like that. Your camera, mp3 player, etc... ARE NOT MASS STORAGE DEVICES, HOWEVER
THEY EMULATE THE SAME INTERFACE AS A STORAGE DEVICE SO THAT YOUR COMPUTER CAN READ IT WITHOUT ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE.
This is essentially "tricking" your PC into reading it without new drivers. Really, those things should all have their own drivers.
Older devices could only be accessed using their propietary software suite, which was really a PITA (like the early d-link mp3 players, which I still have in a drawer somewhere)... luckily things have changed and now many support emulation of a device driver that already exists (Mass Storage Device)!
When you put those devices into Mass Storage mode, they generally can't operate properly (camera can't see its own pics, mp3 can't see its own songs) because it is handing the control of its memory over to the PC and pretending its own CPU doesn't exist.
This isn't native of PDAs for obvious reasons. In fact, I dare you to find any PDA that supports this natively (there are a handful, but I doubt anyone's heard of them). Imagine suddenly pulling all the memory away from a PC while its being used... It takes a fancy emulation program like wm5torage or card export to create a fake mass storage device without hurting your device.
(that's why, by the way, it only works with the storage card... if you take away the main memory of your device, it'll go bonkers).
Make more sense now?
anyway, no one said buy card export. Read the post above AGAIN.
SLOWLY.
and mine too, while you're at it. Maybe it'll make more sense then.