I'm probably giving away the idea for a new business venture with this question. If that's the case & it starts up before I arrive in a couple of weeks, I expect free service!
Can I get access to a CD rewriter on the island?
With the growing popularity of digital cameras, the biggest problem for the travelling photographer, is storage of the pics he takes. Unless he has a laptop computer, or other portable hard drive, the number of pics he can take is limited by the number of the cameras internal "memory sticks" he can afford. These are still very expensive & needless to say, the higher the resolution of the pics saved the worse the problem becomes.
I'm sure a niche has opened up for someone to provide access to a computer equipped with a CD rewriter, so that pics can be downloaded to CDR's.
So, come on that person! At least four people in my group of visitors will be needing your services in 18 days time.

Andy where are you staying?

You can have it done. I think the Kodak place in the Harbourside Mall has some digital equipment. But I think you should also check with the dive shop you are using. Some of them have photoshops too. I know Habitat offers scanning and CD storage. I don't know which memory sticks or cards they can read. I have 3 different ones just on my computer. I don't know prices for any of this.

At Lagoen Hill Walt, but we've got a couple of trucks & I know the island fairly well. (if that's a help?)
Doesn't really need a photoshop Linda. Just a computer to download the pics to & then if it's fitted with a CD Rewriter, just burn them to CD'S to take home. Thanks for your help.

...I've got one, Andy. If you'll take me along, I'll let you use it...

Andy, I'm soooooooooooooo sorry, but I don't take my laptop along, only 30 KG.... Just 9 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes. But who's counting

Bonaire isn't exactly hopping with computers unless we are talking dive computers. BonaireLive and De Tuin have the only public computers to access the internet but I don't know about memory stick readers or CDRs. Several of the dive shop/photoshop people I know on island have digital equipment of their own so would be the most likely to have the right equipment.

Well someone's going to fill the gap soon ... guess I'd better put the kennels business on the market & see if I can afford to buy one of the slave huts when I visit.
Not until you post that profile pic you promised, Hazel, so I can see what I'll be letting myself in for.
Just 24 days & you'll be home again Martin.
Linda, I'm dying to know ... what happened this week on "Love Boat"?

Andy, come by and see me after you get here. I have a CD-RW on my desktop computer. You might want to bring your memory stick reader and software though so my computer can read it. I'm sure we can work something out...maybe a couple of scotch at the bar or something like that. The only thing is my computer stays pretty busy all day so we'll just have to work around it time wise if that's OK.

Andy I live at Lagoen Hill I can probably help you out.

Hum single malt scotch?

Hmmm...I will be there Thanksgiving week and will need the same service. Sounds like a good side business for someone on the island. Anyone out there interested?

My gosh Andy, what a great idea!!! Ed and I are coming down and are bringing our digital camera, we have memory sticks and a CD-RW here, but we will want to store them on CD while down there. If you come across a place that does this, please let us know...We are going down November 25-Dec 2 and staying at our place at Lighthouse Beach Resort....We have totally renovated it so we want to take many pics....Thanks!

Martin I don't like you anymore...9 days

Andy you still crack me up, I am havin' a Lismore single malt "on the rocks" for ya now (I know, Americans just can't do it straight..."

Single Malt will be juuuusssstttt fine.

Amazing how we can go from looking for a CD burner to a Jack making purring sounds over a nice smooth single malt... uhhhh, pass it over Jack!!! ;-)

Yes Kelly ..... but at least just for once, no-ones mentioned the pants.
Right now for my next business proposition, for those of you who don't get in quickly enough to make your fortunes on the first one.
From your desperate pleas for the Scottish Nectar, I can see that there's an obvious need for a Scotch distillery on the island.
Now let's see ..... we're going to have to ship the Highland water out there.
Walt, I'm relying on you to provide the storage facility for the water when it arrives.
Jack, I hope I can I count on you to start ploughing that bit of waste land out the back, 'cause we're going to need to sow a fairly large acreage of malting barley.
We're obviously going to need a few volunteer tasters (I'll audition them).
Finally, I'll get mum to start work knitting the kilts, which will be compulsory wear for all employees.
Back to the real world for a moment.
Thanks for your help over the CD-RW issue gents(although maybe you should be thanking me!).
Probably best if we partake of the Single Malt in front of the street cam, as I've already promised Jake a dram or two, as well.
I'll be in touch.

The Glen Livet or Cardu will do just fine!

Cynde, just as Andy said, just 24 days and then couting the next 6 months... April 28-th, one month, just My girlfriend, Bonaire and me!!!

Andy, Please go to the pub and stop telling me how many days are left!!!

Martin, I reckon you're in for a shock. Your girlfriend told me that at the end of your next trip, she's going back to the States with Tim!

Thank god, she oicked an american instead of a stiff upperlip. I cann't imagine that she would leave me for an person living in the same coutry as "THE PANTS"!!!

I think I know, but can't be certain what "oiked" means Martin?
Presuming it's a Dutch profanity, does the following sentence make sense......
"Martin returned home unexpectedly, to find his girlfriend oiking with Tim on the kitchen table"?

Sorry for that Martin. I'll buy you a beer in a couple of weeks time ----- oh, all right then, two beers!
Was rather good though, don't you think?
Just noticed I missed the "c" out which probably gives it a completely different meaning, eh?

Andy, that must be a couple of BIG beers!!

I'll tell you what oicking is, when we'll meet at the airport.

I, too, am very interested in finding a CD-RW system to use for our MONTH on Bonaire in January. I use my Minolta for "real photography" and my Nikonos for underwater, but for the touristy snapshot stuff I like to use my new digital camera. I'll take your advice and bring the usb connector, AC/DC adapter and Fuji software, just in case I can find someplace to burn some photos. This is certainly a service that will be in greater demand as time goes by.
Freda @ Kenora, Ontario, Canada

Way to go, Andy! I was complaining about the fact that we didn't bring our laptop to be able to transfer the dig pics and see them better. The little lcd screen on the camera isn't great for seeing the pics! Well, maybe just as good. If I could have seen them better, I probably would have given up! I think I took about 400 dig pics and the underwater ones were mostly not too good, but I did get several acceptable ones. Very proud of my little digital and EWA bag.

After de 26th entry, I thought I should join the discussion. First of all, the Kodak place called Kodalux has the equipment to print from floppy, CD, Smartmedia, Microdrive and CompactFlash. No memory stick until now. That will be added somewhere in the future. They can make BIG prints, even poster size, starting in a couple of days! Letter size already available. They DON'T have a burner.

What I read so far, I think that Jack and especially Walt can help you guys just fine. But what if this idea really picks up? Are you, Jack and Walt, willing to help hords of people banging on your doors with the same problem as these guys?

I thought about the idea of 1 place where everybody could go and get their work on CD. From any media! That means not having to bring USB cables, software etc. but just stop by with your media, stick it in the appropriate media reader, and burn it on a CD. Not having to install software for each customer saves a lot of time and thus money. I would have to invest in the hardware (readers) to be able to help each one of you out there and I would like to know what would be an acceptable price. I thought of something like $20 per CD and that only if I get enough customers. So, how about it, does this sound good or should I toss the concept in the trashcan?

Edwin....I would check the price of what the local Bonaire photo shop is charging to develop a roll of film....We pay a fortune to develop ours with the normal film processing so...if they don't come out...you still have time to take more...but if my credit card doesnt lie...we spend at least 3 times what we would spend in the states...so...depending on the amount of pictures you could get on a CD...(and I have no idea as I am still digital illiterate) it sounds reasonable to me....? anyone else care to join in?
Edwin..do you need a partner?

Meryl, good to find out that the first reaction is positive. Yes, traditional photography is expensive here for several reasons. But like you said, it gives you the chance to redo some shots.

I would like to add that the idea of burning tourist pictures on CD is mainly to free (erase) the expensive camera media. Most popular size nowadays is 64MB. Looking at the price of this media I would say that the average user has two or three of these. But a CD can hold 650 to 700 MB, so that's tenfold. How much is ten 64MB modules these days? Or 5 modules of 128MB? Maybe better to burn some CD's.

Let's see if some more folks react.

I am looking at a new notebook so I can come to You at your Resort so you can Burn CD's for a small fee.

Walt,

I have one of the latest VAIO Notebooks (the R505-TSK) and the CD/Floppy docking station (one model of it) includes a DVD/CD-RW drive - it's done a very nice job burning CDs, and it's very portable. Comes with a built in memory stick slot (it's Sony, after all), and you can get USB readers for all the other memory types...

Eddy - I think it's a good idea, but it is one that anyone else can copy with just some hardware investment. You may want to sell a packaged PC/CD-R system to the various dive photo shops which can do this and make money off the computer sales and maintenance - might be a better option.

BTW, I have that new LNB here still... :-) Hugs to Marion.

Jake

Edwin,

I agree with Jake, it is a good idea and one that we are pursuing here at Habitat. I think from a convience standpoint, most customers would rather be able to get the service at the resort they are staying at as opposed to having to drive or walk to town for the service. I would be interested in talking to you in regards to what Jake proposes with sales and maintenance of the hardware. Stop by an see me.

Jack

Oops...convenience, not convience...only had one cup of coffee this morning. ;-)

Jack

Of course Jake is absolutely right about anyone being able to copy any initiative in this field. Wouldn't be the first time on Bonaire. For Jack, I'm perfectly willing to answer any questions you might have. What time does your happy hour start? Going home from work I could stop by and meet you at the bar. (or your office if you prefer but usually I've built up a thirst by that time of day. ;-)

Think I'll keep my ideas to myself in future!

Andy,

Check with BlueDivers, http://www.bluedivers.com , there's a link from the first page to information about digi-cams and CD burning.

Have a good trip.
Cheers..........//Magnus, Sweden

Thanks for that Magnus.
I think that within the next year or so, as prices fall, most folks (well, those with digital cameras, anyway), will have the hard drive "wallets" that are just beginning to appear on the market. So, I wouldn't sell the hot-dog van yet, Edwin...ie. don't give up the day job.

Jake, the R505-TSK. Surely not?