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Flash Memory Types - Types of flash memory available for digital devices Print
Written by CompuPair   

There are many different flash memory types available on the market. Some of them are the size of a penny, and others as big as a credit card. Some transfer data faster than others, but where the others lack in speed they make up in reliability.

With so many choices and variables, one will find it very hard to make a decision on what type of flash memory they should choose. You must also remember if you are buying it for a certain device (digital camera, mp3 player, etc) then you MUST purchase the right type.

If you are buying it just for document and data storage, then you still have to make a good decision because you will be stuck with that type of flash memory and it should be compatible with most other computers. So let's get started by first learning all of the different flash memory types.


USB Flash Memory

usb-flash-memory This is my favorite form of flash memory since it is small, convenient and plugs right into any computer with a USB port. Just about every computer has a USB port these days, so you should be fine.

What is also great about USB flash memory storage units are there ability to be secure if you want them to, and the cost of them are very low for such a good amount of storage capacity.


Secure Digital (SD Card)

SD-cardA secure digital card (SD) is, in my experience, the best flash memory type avaible on the market today. It was initially created to hold, and prevent duplication, of copyright music files.

But these cards have grown immensely and are very popular with digital camera users due to their low power consumption and small size. There are now a few types of SD cards for purchase, offering transfer rates of varying degrees. SD cards are slowly pushing CompactFlash out of the flash memory business because other cards are just to big compared to SD cards.


SmartMedia Cards

smart-media-card The SmartMedia format (solid state floppy disk card (SSFDC) was developed by Toshiba. This memory-only card has no controller onboard, but it is required on the device to be used.

SmartMedia cards are used with digital devices before 2001 and cannot exceed 128MB (BAD!). This type of flash memory is available out there still, but is definitely the least popular flash memory type.


Compact Flash

compact-flash-card Much bigger then other types of flash memory, it is about the size of a matchbook. CompactFlash cards are one of the first to become standard in the digital camera market. With it's storage capacities ranging from 8MB to 8GB (Whoa!).

One major benefit of a CompactFlash card is that it contains both memory chips and a controller. This flash memory type has made quite an impact and has become a very popular digital mass-storage device.


Memory Stick

memory-stick The Memory Stick was developed by Sony in 1999, and was created to make brand loyalty for their digital cameras and camcorders.

Sometimes they are included with the camera or digital device that requires it. Sony computer notebooks also include a Memory Stick reader, so the user will know that the product will work seamlessly without failing.
 

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