How to Choose the Right Memory Stick

Memory sticks can be bought in in many different forms. Different dimension cards are suited to the many different devices available. Huge volumes of Memory sticks are manufactured worldwide annually, and many are not ideal for their use.

Taking a little time to properly assess your needs prior to making a purchase will let you to make an informed choice and end up with a much better storage unit that is fit for purpose.

Data Card Versions

There are more frequently used formats that are most popularly used by the vast majority of electronic device manufacturers. The most popular are standard, Micro and Mini SD Memory Cards, USB Flash drives, and Compact Flash card drives.

The 2 main determining factors when choosing your data storage, are the capacity of the card and the speed of data transfer. Memory storage technology is fast moving, leading to ever greater data storage capacity and transfer rate.

The larger and faster the memory drive, the more it will cost. With the recent surge in the use of tablets for video and gaming, portable secure storage of massive quantities of data has become ever more necessary.

Card Capacity

Currently, as we head into 2014, flash drives are manufactured up to 256GB and storage is on course to reach 2 Terrabytes by the start of the 20’s. Cards and sticks are more & more reliable and stable, giving the user more confidence and security than was once the case.

Most modern SD memory cards are hot ‘swappable’ meaning that they can be removed from your devices and computers without needing to first eject them. They are also compatible with both Apple and Microsoft, so you can easily back up your data onto your PC or Mac for using at a later date.

Compact Flash

Professional level digital SLR cameras usually provide several card slots and will take Compact Flash memory (usually the preference for professional photographers) as well as SD memory cards also.

For commercial photographers, often they only have one opportunity to preserve a moment, so they be certain that the photos they capture are stored safely.

Compact Flash cards are some of the most consistently reliable data storage cards and the most trusted. The majority of wedding day photography specialists elect to use a few smaller size Compact Flash memory cards during important shoots like these rather than storing all the photographs on just one card.

This provides added security because if the worst were to happen, if a data failure occurs, they just lose a single portion of their saved work, rather than all of it.

In spite of the increased reliability of data storage, it is prudent to preserve your data by saving it this way as it can save you from possible disaster.

Due to their tiny dimensions, memory sticks and cards are an incredibly convenient way of moving enormous quantities of content for either portability or security.

These small cards and sticks can be easily stored in a purse, wallet or pocket, or hidden away discreetly to secure your most important information and documents.

Flash memory comes in 2 forms, USB driven and a range of card drives which require a compatible card slot or a multi-card reader unit which is connected to a computer via a USB. The cameras, portable gaming machines or other electronic devices you own or intend to purchase will dictate which types of cards you will need.

If you are only intending to store information from your computer then a USB memory stick will be your ideal device. With the sale price of memory drives dropping, there has never been a better time to upgrade with faster, larger capacity sticks and cards to preserve your most valuable information.