What types of memory can I get? The Definitive Guide
Jun 30 '01
The Bottom Line When choosing an MP3 player, pay attention as to what memory you are committing yourself to.
I think it is all a matter of love: the more you love a memory, the stronger and stranger it is.
Vladimir Nabokov
The portable memory exists in great variety and for a novice user the differentiation between five or six different types of expandable memory is perhaps a trickier thing than telling a difference between the Intel and AMD processors.
Why memory matters
Most portable MP3 players now come with expandable slots for memory. Generally you are given some kind of internal memory, but if you’re going cheap and accommodating your budget and buying the MP3 player at the same time, then it would be perhaps inevitable that you will end up with less memory that you would require in the future.
Besides, the needs and appetite grow when using any device, and thus you shouldn’t be surprised when in several months you finally decide to expand the memory on your device so as to fit more tracks.
This is where the different types of memory come into play. The industry still hasn’t come up with unified standard, the manufacturers are broken down into the little camps, each having their own memory idol, and that allows for high price margins on the potable memory market.
CompactFlash
This type of memory is perhaps the oldest one, at least it has been around as long as I can remember, but I am relatively young, thus maybe there are other types that could be considered older. It’s old, but it’s not antique – CompactFlash is gaining momentum among the numerous manufacturers and is generally accepted by the consumers. The good thing about CompactFlash is that the cards fit into many devices. You can use the CompactFlash memory you bought for your MP3 player, digital camera, recording device, etc., provided they all work with the CompactFlash memory. You would be able to find a 128 MB CompactFlash card for $120.
SmartMedia
Hasn’t been around as much as CompactFlash has, but nevertheless it is making its way into the digital Universe. SmartMedia could perhaps be considered the twin brother of CompactFlash, as all the features of CompactFlash directly correspond to SmartMedia. It’s relatively accessible at your local electronics shop or on Amazon, it will work in other digital devices that support SmartMedia, it’s popular among manufacturers and the consumers. Furthermore, the prices, if you take a look at the offerings, are about the same, Amazon has a 128 MB SmartMedia card for $120.
MultiMedia Card or MMC
This type of memory is relatively younger. The manufacturers wanted to come up with a smaller card that will hold more, and that’s where the MMC came into existence. The technological specs perhaps won’t impress you much, this memory has the same criteria as the two types described above. The fact that it is smaller allows MMC to be included in all types of ultralight and portable devices, such as digital clocks, wearable computers, and other types of gizmos. 64 megs of this wonder cost 80 bucks.
PocketZip
If you are serious about future upgrades of your portable accessories, then think PocketZip. It is produced by the same company that makes the Zip drives – inexpensive substitute for high-volume memory if you do not want to get a CD-RW. Iomega has been in the market for a while, and generally ships cheaper stuff, but it also makes it proprietary, thus if you decide to go with PocketZip, you are stuck with Iomega’s products. Not that it is a bad thing. 40 megs of PocketZip would cost you 10-15 bucks, and you could fit your music collection on the PocketZips spending under a hundred bucks. Compare that with the CompactFlash or MultiMedia Card and it seems to be a good deal. The drawback – not too many manufacturers include the PocketZip memory into their MP3 players.
Sandisk Secure Digital Card
This is a proprietary product by Sandisk, that generally makes pretty good memory and then sells it as expensive as it’s possible. Judge for yourself – the 32 meg cards available on the market cost 60 bucks. Recently I have read their press release on manufacturing the 128 MB card, but as every PR stunt, that press release did not include the pricing policy, so it’s hard to say how this memory compares to the competition. The MP3 players with Secure Digital, or SD card, are available at the stores. I went downtown last week and while waiting for a friend of mine to shop up for lunch, I browsed the shopping window of the nearby small electronics store. Out of four MP3 players they had, one had SD card.
MemoryStick
Sony Corp. is the Microsoft of the music hardware world, and that means that the company generally subscribes to the philosophy “our way, or the highway”. Chances are you have something of Sony in your house, and thus perhaps your first MP3 player would be a Sony as well. The brand is good, the quality is right, the price could be lower but it’s not that bad. If you end up with Sony, chances are you will have MemoryStick. MemoryStick is the proprietary technology which is a little bit pricier than the others, a 64 MB MemoryStick card is 140 dollars on Amazon. Not exactly your cut-rate prices.
Summing up
Hope that you had as much fun reading this as I had when writing this short epinion. The idea was to finally clarify the differences between the numerous memory types, so when you go to the store to buy some more memory cards, you don’t end up with a huge bill or the dumb look on the salesperson’s face.
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