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Flash Memory Cards Don Bradbury looks at the current scene Users of well-established flash memory types, such as CompactFlash or SmartMedia, are now having to face a barrage of competition for specialist application and with properties they may or may not want. Do they realize the implications? CompactFlash and SmartMedia have provided the mainstay of solid state memory modules for several years now and have served well. They are small (though not as small per MB as later concepts) and have proved reliable and easily available. They can fit equipment which senses orientation of the card and block incorrect insertion attempts, and that's all most users have required. Memory Stick But manufacturers have cottoned on to the fact that they can squeeze more out of this market with 'better' designs, hence we now have Sony with their Memory Stick, as well as MMC and SD to add to the complexity.
MMC and SD What's the difference, you may ask, between the MMC (MultiMedia Card) and SD (Secure Digital) standards? Well, for a start, SD is a later standard, backwards compatible with MMC in that the slot design is nominally the same. Moreover, some applications let you use MMC in a SD device, though usually only with restrictions.
The MultiMedia Card can be a good choice for the wide distribution of data such as games, reference materials, eBooks, music and so on. It is the world's smallest removable solid-state memory card at just 32 x 24 x 1.4mm, and it uses the so-called Flash technology for typically reusable recording and ROM application for playback-only devices. Further, its cost is relatively low. Specialities Secure Digital can be a 'preferred' choice for applications that require updateable storage or I/O (input/output) functionality. It uses Flash technology only, but the card spec features a protection tab for securing your data. Usefully, it has a high data transfer rate of up to 10MB/sec. It also offers extended capacities and I/O capability. Hence, in short, it can do certain things that MMC can not. It is typically used to store data on portable devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, handheld computers, and cell phones. In addition to memory, Secure Digital can also accept devices to add new technologies like Bluetooth - the emerging wireless connectivity standard - or global positioning systems (GPS). However, some digital audio files, downloaded from music services such as Napster, cannot be played on devices that use Secure Digital cards, and so not everyone (especially end users) consider such security aspects a step forward. Secure Digital includes software that complies with Secure Digital Music Initiative standards which protects against unauthorized replication of copyrighted content, and that fact might lead to a backlash among users and manufactures, especially in the short term. The price factor Price cuts for SD have been dramatic, partly in consequence of such fears and partly because of the general memory glut in recent times. However, market pressures, and the backing of big corporations with much to protect, have made the market huge and productive, with nearly three hundred companies in the Secure Digital Association - the group which is steering the development and manufacturing of the format. A lot of companies are said to be hedging their bets and supporting more than one format, although when devices, such as card readers, that support any new format appear, you can say the standard has more or less made it. Producers won't market kit with no future. Well, not if they can second guess the situation correctly. Some figures to hand show CompactFlash having 42 percent of the retail shipments of flash memory, while SmartMedia had 31 percent, and Sony's Memory Stick, 23 percent. Secure Digital was way behind with single digit percentage but growing. However, Secure Digital is expected by some to become one of the dominant formats in the future, with older formats, such as CompactFlash and SmartMedia, falling away. We shall see. Finally Whether users choose to buy a product that uses relatively new standards of flash memory is up to them. Potential customers will bear in mind both the current economics and likely movements in the market. In the end, though, we buy what the producers sell, particularly if it is liked for several reasons and not just the memory constituent. But if producers can see benefits to profits, security or whatever, they'll push us in the direction they favour. Such is the way of the world. So please keep potential downsides in mind when buying time comes around - if you have the option, that is.
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Memory Stick is finding other applications outside of Sony gear, and
not just because of pressure from this major corporation; others are
involved. Personally, in the recent past, I have avoided Memory
Stick gear, partly because I didn't have a card reader that would
accept it. Well now I do, and so that particular restriction is a
thing of the past. Still, in this 'VHS vs Betamax' world (readers
will recall the battle) you have to keep an eye on market trends.
The
restrictions are usually there at the manufacturer's behest,
however, not the end user's. MMC and SD cards may look identical but
internally the SD card can store and protect copyrighted data, and
that's the essence of the matter.