HDD

Ummm, nope

This is beyond my comprehension and logic ( 30+ years in the computer business ) Somehow "they" decided to implement a USB 1.0 protocol which is 1.2 mb/s from 1997. Geez, USB 2.0 is 450 mb/s and introduced 9 years before the first Cali was built. And then USB 3.x at 1 GB/s comes out in 2008.

Stick to SAT radio

 

My music requirements are currently modest as I am still unpacking after a major relocation but I did load up approx. 8 iTunes albums via a USB memory stick. My music collection likely won't ever be on satellite or even regular radio so I have to use the HDD.

The small iTunes content I loaded was about 2.5GB and I believe the Cali 30's HDD is 40GB (vs. 30GB in the original Cali). I wasn't timing but it may have taken about 3-4 minutes. I guess that works out to be about 4-5 hours of music... enough to reach DC with.

 

Wow I guess the Cali 30 entered the 21st century with USB, or is that metric eh

 

Yeah, it wasn't that bad. When I get my stuff unpacked and sorted, I'll try to load up the HDD. I hope I get it right because I'm not sure I know how to delete yet!

 

I have been feverishly copying my CDS to the HDD on my 458 Spider. The upside is you HAVE to listen to the engine while copying.

You can then play back each album one at a time. So it's about an hour between operating the HDD which can be done while underway.

 

I finally got time to play with my car today and started doing the voice training, inputting addresses,...etc.

When I checked the HDD space I noticed it only showed approx. 20GB space and instead of the 2.5GB size of my download, it showed only 1.78GB used. So there are discrepancies with what I had expected.

When I checked the "Reference Guide Infotainment System" (US version) it does state 40GB as the size of the HDD.

However, in the photo I am attaching, you will see at the bottom of the display it shows "HDD 2" - does that mean "hard disk 2" or "HDD partition 2" or something else? (NOTE - just answered my own question - "2" seems to refer to the track that it's playing).

I'll see if I find any more information on this but it may imply there is only 20GB storage for music! The system does allow recording of voice memos and storage of text files. That may involve partitioning the 40GB drive. Actually, I don't understand why Ferrari is using a HD instead of soldi-state memory discs. They are so cheap and will work better when the car is moving and experiencing bumps and G-forces. More on that later!
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There was a post on this earlier but I could not find it. If I remember right the HDD is also used for the NAV and that is why you only have 20 gig free

FYI solid state drives are much more durable than disks - no moving parts. But it is still not cost effect.

 

That would well account for the "missing" 20GB! Thanks Martin.

 

You would think solid state drives would be more reliable ... but for now they are NOT. I bought a few laptops with SS drives and they all failed eventually. The HDD technology is very good these days and far more reliable. I switched each of the SSD's to HDD's with no further problems.

Rick

 

Rick, I don't doubt your negative experiences but maybe the technology has advanced since then.

For instance, I have 2 iPads (my 32GB iPad2 is 2 years old this month) and there are millions of these things along with their clones as well, plus more millions of smartphones all have minimum 16GB these days. SS memory reliability problems would have crippled these devices but they work fine.

I was actually planning to start a new thread because unfortunately, my HDD music playback may be suffering the effects of vibrations and G forces when the car is in motion.

The iTunes music in my new California is "skipping" quite badly when I drive even ever so slightly aggressively. It's not the music because I would rewind immediately and replay - the music will play perfectly if I "slow down". I repeated the tests 2-3 times every instance I experience music playback problems with HDD. My 2013 RAM 1500 (another "Fiat" product) which probably uses the same software, plays the identical music just fine from a 32GB USB drive. A 64GB USB drive is just $40.

 

Sorry Rick. SSDs are far more reliable than an HDD. Correctly designed of course. Failure rates for SSDs in the company I used to work for we're vanishingly small. Orders of magnitude below HDDs. Doesn't absolve a badly designed SSD of course and there those. Nor are the SSDs perfect or perfectly reliable. Just better and faster. And as 4th noted, much better in some high vibration environments like cars on the road...

SV

 

So, is the HD replaceable? Either with another HD, or with SSD? There are probably OS limitations on size, but it would be pretty spiffy to replace with say an 80GB drive and have 60GB available for music...

John

 

Not sure if they are easy to service but I'm guessing since these HD capacities are relatively small a modern OS should have the headroom to support them.

They'd have to transfer and then wipe all the existing files using a host station to perform the task. Not sure dealers are set up to do computer-related upgrades but a physical swap of preloaded HDs should not be complicated assuming the HD is accessible without major surgery to the dash.

OTOH, since there is a USB port on the lower right control column of the Infotainment display the system does have a USB bus. I really think they should have simply extended the USB capability to support an internal USB SSD.