COREi64 Changes coming soon...

[Zippy Zapp]

The SD2IEC does not have a parallel port nor does it interface with the Ramlink.
The SD2IEC does not support external SCSI Devices.
The SD2IEC does not support REL files in disk images and only partially supports them natively.
The SD2IEC is not as compatible/integrated with GEOS thanks to the CMD patches that will not work with SD2IEC devices.
The SD2IEC does not support 1541/71/81 partition emulation, though it does support disk images so that is almost as good with a few compatibility exceptions apparently.
The SD2IEC does not have a swap drive number button.

I am sure I missed other things too but just in a nutshell those are the major differences. If you don't need any of those things and only are interested in mass storage with CMD command support and disk image support, then SD2IEC is a great device, don't get me wrong. But if you want or need any of the above then a CMD HD is a better choice.

Then there is a the cool factor as using CMD devices is a pretty fun thing as are the physical devices integrated into your setup.

[Bulletdust]

The SD2IEC doesn't need a parallel port nor does it need to interface with the (also expensive) Ramlink. Using the UII+ I can DMA load files just as fast, if not faster, than the Ramlink and my UII+ cost me considerably less when I bought it than a Ramlink.

REL file support is spotty at best across a number of devices (including CBM devices) and their actual usefulness in this day and age is quite rare. It's not something I'm likely to miss in the slightest.

The SD2IEC isn't as compatible with GEOS, this is true. However, the SD2IEC can be autodetected by Wheels as a CMD FD/HD device by making use of the .bin files contained under the SD2IEC file dump under Fakeroms.zip. GEOS has never been of particular interest to me, so I'm not going to be affected by any lack of compatibility in the slightest.

I've already stated that the SD2IEC doesn't support partition emulation. However, the feature never really worked that well anyway, and with the advent of D61, D71 and D81 containers the need for such functionality is basically a relic of the past - Both partition emulation and file containers aren't perfect considering every likely scenario on a mass storage type device. My UII+ handles D61/71/81 containers with ease using JiffyDOS for all virtual drives, and as already stated cost me less when I bought it than a CMD HD/FD product with vastly more functionality.

As for the swap drive button, Swapping the drive number is performed quickly and easily via software on the SD2IEC. Having said that, I've never had to swap my drive number.

Essentially, the SD2IEC is a modern CF based storage solution that provides 90% of a CMD-HD device for a mere fraction of the price and power consumption. Furthermore, there are practical benefits to running a FAT file system and being able to swap CF cards (virtual HDD's) on the fly.

From a purist perspective, the CMD-HD/FD devices are impressive units - And don't get me wrong, I'd love to own one of each for nostalgia reasons. But from a practical benefit perspective, the cost in $US is sadly beyond my level of justification. It's not that I can't afford such devices, it's that I can't justify the expense considering the practical benefits - Reading around Lemon64 and the like, it seems I'm not the only one.

However, it is great to see someone actively promoting the CMD line of products once again for those than can justify the expense (most likely individuals located in the US).