Old vs New (reliability)
========================

I still use my HP 735 camera for photos. It's (well, relatively) huge, heavy
and slow and it's only 3.5 MPix (or so). But it works and I use it for more
than 12 years so I'm able to take better pictures with this old one than with
anything more better (but unknown to me).

The camera has it's own issues (random errors in photos) but they are rare and
I can live with them (I have had 2 examples of this particular model and both
have been behaving in the same manner). It makes only JPEG (JFIF) files but it
is OK for my needs.

But the problem is when I want to get pictures off the camera. I traditionally
used SD-to-USB adapter and the NSLU-2 network device to move the pictures to
any computer (usually to one of my SGIs). Surprisingly, it always worked well.

When I stopped to use the NSLU-2 I started to connect the camera to the PC
directly (a Linux or - sometimes Windows - one). It has to be without problems
because the camera accepts some USB protocols (mass transfer and more). Then I
started to experience errors in transfer. I thought that it has to be an issue
of the SD card (I still use the same example that I got when 1 GB cards became
affordable). So I replaced it with a new one.... and the transfer  issues are
still the same. I got a modern SD-USB adapter (well, a cheap one from China) -
and I have experienced the same problem.

Then I have tried the adapted with NSLU-2 and it was even worse (I was able to
hang the poor old NetSlug).

Finally, I have tried an old SD-USB adapter with the NSLU-2 and ... no issues.
I have repeated the test ... no issues. Then I have started to use this
combination regularly and ... no issues.

Please don't tell me that it is normal!