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This is a 448MB NOR-gate "ATA Transflash" card. Full size PCMCIA interface.

NOR flash isn't used much, as NAND flash offers much better density. NOR's advantage was that it mapped the entire address space directly, so random reads were much faster than the NAND flash of the day. Disadvantages were larger size and slower erase times. Since flash storage became primarily a store-only medium, NOR has kind of faded over the years, although it's still a technology that could be used.

Now it's so fast and dense that NOR isn't really used at all.

I bought this on eBay probably late 2002 for around $90. A 256MB CF card would have set you back about $110 at the time, and I had one of those as well. Ended up selling the CF card to a friend for about 1/4 of the original purchase price. Like the PCMCIA drive I posted earlier, I have no way to read this so it's secrets shall remain until the charge on the flash chips degrades into nothing.

Raise a glass to the warez this thing transported in it's day.

This is a 448MB NOR-gate "ATA Transflash" card. Full size PCMCIA interface. NOR flash isn't used much, as NAND flash offers much better density. NOR's advantage was that it mapped the entire address space directly, so random reads were much faster than the NAND flash of the day. Disadvantages were larger size and slower erase times. Since flash storage became primarily a store-only medium, NOR has kind of faded over the years, although it's still a technology that could be used. Now it's so fast and dense that NOR isn't really used at all. I bought this on eBay probably late 2002 for around $90. A 256MB CF card would have set you back about $110 at the time, and I had one of those as well. Ended up selling the CF card to a friend for about 1/4 of the original purchase price. Like the PCMCIA drive I posted earlier, I have no way to read this so it's secrets shall remain until the charge on the flash chips degrades into nothing. Raise a glass to the warez this thing transported in it's day.

(post is archived)

[–] • 1 pt

What's on it?

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I'm not sure. I used it to transport downloaded materials from work before my area got a useful cable internet connection. If it has anything at all left readable, it's probably downloaded game files for MAME or something.

I'll have to see if I can pick up some sort of reader at a hamfest or something.

[–] • 1 pt

Be cool if there were some secret code an autistic kid decodes, getting chased after glowniggers and you gotta protect him like that one Bruce Willis movie

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It was probably just roms and things from funet.fi's FTP archives.

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NOR has kind of faded over the years, although it's still a technology that could be used.

I just learned this while looking for more info on that flash card. Apparently NOR flash is pretty high demand now days. Here's the and a .

I was under the impression that NOR would eventually get phased out by NAND. I guess not.

[–] • 1 pt

Interesting, it's back in demand? Weird. I guess what's old is new again.