going on extended trip and would like to take hard drive with me so to download pictures. Anybody with experience with this and how are the computers in Vietnam and Burma.

GENERALLY VERY SLOW...in your upscale hotels you may find faster ones but probably not....in burma usage is limited...they may not allow it..

i took my sticks to a camera shop and had them downloaded to cd's---very cheap

Like rhkkmk said, it's easy enough to get images downloaded to CD. One thing, always check that there are images on the CD as I've seen reports of people arriving home with blank discs. If I were you I'd take additional memory cards instead of a hard drive. They're dirt cheap nowadays and should one be corrupted you've always got a spare or two. If nothing else they're a hole lot lighter than a hard disk.

I've seen a number of mp3 players that can also be used to store image files. The one I have works directly with the flash memory card, so no computer is involved.

I am using the 512mb memory card at say 3 pix anyone know about how many pictures this will give me. The info says i think 500?

A 512MB card should give you 500-600 photos at 3MP using most camera's standard JPEG compression. On my Nikon, I can use a lower compression mode, which will cut the number in half. Or I can switch to 2MP or even 1MP to increase number of shots.

The actual number of pictures will depend on the what's being shot - complex composition will take up more space. But in general, the estimate given by the manfacturer is usually conservative, so I'll say the real answer should be closer to 600 or even more than 600.

Personally I like to use the highest quality setting, and not delete images until I get home. If you only want to view images on your PC or publish on the net you can use a lower image resolution and therefore get more pictures on the memory card.

I like the idea of the MP3 player, but it's still more expensive than buying additional cards, and leaves you without a camera if your card is corrupted.

There's no real easy answer here. It depends on how you use your camera.

Aren't digital cameras a wonderful invention.

We carry with us a 40GB IPOD with a Belkin Digital Camera Link to download the pictures and it works wonderfully. Of course, we had the IPOD already so the cost (around $70) was minimal.

Pat

Well i already purchased a hard drive so the other options will have to wait but thanks for the info.once you download the pictures on the harddrive is it reliable as long as you view the pictures to make sure they are there . What about airport x ray machines is it safe to pass thru? also buying memory cards in Hanoi should be no problem i would assume? do you think 2 batteries should be enough? also do i need a converter for the recharger?

Memory cards in Hanoi will be more expensive. Buy them on-line where you are. 2 batteries will not be enough, no way. Take plenty. If your camera takes 2 batteries I'd take at least 6, seriously.

Hard drives are pretty reliable, but of course anything can fail. But still, the chance of that happening is less than a memory card, or having problems with film.

As for batteries, for a long trip, definitely bring the charger for the rechargeable batteries, as I assume that's what you're using. Don't need to bring extra batteries as long as you're recharging every night, and you don't take that many pictures a day. Try the camera before you go and determine how much charge it holds.

We always take a hard drive along. It's one you download right from the memory card to the hard drive, no computer needed. We've taken it on a number of trips to SE Asia, and have never had a problem.