et1@attglobal.net (Ernst du Toit) writes:
> Are there any supported SmartMedia (aka SSFDC) readers?  I'm
> particularly interested in anything USB based, but any device might
> be worth considering.

I have the Newmedia pcmcia reader.  This can download my 4 meg cards
in ~3 seconds.

The Newmedia does have a significant bug under netbsd (including
-current) though.  It hangs the kernel for ~40 seconds whenever the
reader in first plugged in.  It is a bit of a drag to have your
portable freeze up and go into high-battery usage mode for 40 seconds
(especially when away from wall-power).  The battery doesn't last that
long as it and having your computer go into a spin-wait warming up the
CPU just adds insult to injury.

The Bug?  The kernel does a spin-wait for a status bit in the wdc
controller code that takes 40 seconds to come valid.  (Ideally the
kernel would really stop spin-waiting after a few milliseconds.)

-wolfgang
-- 
       Wolfgang Rupprecht <wolfgang+gnus@dailyplanet.wsrcc.com>
		    http://www.wsrcc.com/wolfgang/
Coming soon: GPS mapping tools for Open Systems. http://www.gnomad-mapping.com/