Wii external memory support via eSOL

[shams]

DarkNight_DS said:

shams said:
Firstly, finally scored a USB wireless keyboard that works - so typing this on my Wii :) Now on-topic: this doesn't mean anything. The Wii already has SD card support - and has from the launch. The photo channel has always allowed reading/writing data to the card. This might allow for support of higher-spec'd cards, and maybe other devices. The issue with WiiWare / VC has always been that of *running* binaries straight from external storage devices - which would require them to be unencrypted. This could be useful as a storage medium for songs (for instance) in GH, Rockband and other games - but even those games may be likely to encrypt their media.

Shams... you are wrong. I've researched the eSOL deal pretty extinsively. Nintendo has two deals with eSOL which cover the Wii's basic SD card driver and the second deal which covers the USB and SDHC 1.1 driver. The press release by eSOL that I posted is the second driver deal. Once again SDHC cards are 66x and faster and start at 4GB in size. Currently the Wii driver only support SD 1.0 which allows for cards up to 2GB. This driver deal changes everything.

eSOL is also the company which jumped in to help Nintendo out with Wii production after the other company was unable to keep up with parts demand (Circuit boards).

Huh?

Please explain why I am wrong. I agree with everything you have said - but I haven't seen *anything* that proves that Wii applications will be able to run directly from external memory (whether that is SD, SDHC, hard disk - doesn't matter).

WiiWare developers will find out soon enough. I am almost (?) certain that WiiWare applications will have to run from a "well defined" memory space within the 512MB that is embedded within the Wii. Not from any other memory.

This external memory could be used for pretty much *anything* else - even "general" data used by an application, etc. Its all driven through whatever APIs Nintendo provides developers, which makes it easy to upgrade support for devices in the future as needed.

Another option which has always been available - is for the Wii to automatically reorganise memory as needed.  Keep a basic directory of applications on the 512MB of internal memory - and copy applications from external to internal memory, clearing out (backing up) internal applications (etc..).

...

I'll be very happy if apps end up running directly from external memory - its definitely not impossible. But I think its a question of developers (specifically WiiWare - VC apps are probably preloaded completely into normal RAM) - memory latency is very important.

Imagine writing an app for the DS, only to discover that *some* users (legit) will be running it from memory that is 10-100x slower. This completely changes the way (for instance) that streaming music systems and sound engines can work.

It might be that the internal memory is treated exactly the same way that a disc device is treated (just faster) - and that latency and read speeds can't be assumed?

(its a good press find regardless :>)