Multimedia Cards
Between SmartMedia and SD is where this card calls home
MultiMedia Card (MMC) is a flash memory card standard created by Siemens and SanDisk. The flash memory card is used by electronic devices as storage, not really as system memory at all. About the size of a postage stamp, the MMC fits easily into a wallet and can be used to transport files to a computer with an adaptor. Many portable devices use MMC as standard removable storage. Digital cameras, for instance, will use an MMC card (or another format of flash memory) to store pictures it takes as image files. You can then connect the camera itself or remove the memory card and insert it into a reader so you can transfer the files to your computer.
A reader is a device that grants a computer the capability of reading files from any flash memory format. A reader might connect to a USB port, serial or parallel port on your PC so that you can move files at a variety of speeds. The SmartMedia format had a floppy adaptor called FlashPath, which let you read the cards from your floppy drive.
MMC's design is based on Toshiba's SmartMedia Card. While MultiMedia represented a significant advance in portable storage, it never really replaced Toshiba's SmartMedia. It wasn't until MultiMedia's older brother Secure Digital (or SD Memory Card format) was released that SmartMedia really started to be replaced by a newer and better format.
Fast facts on MMC memory- Based on the same NAND based flash EEPROM design as SartMedia cards
- Available in capacities of up to 2 Gigabytes
- Used exclusively by Nokia. Only Nokia still makes MMC slots in its devices
- Compatible with SD memory slots
- All but phased out of the gizmo industry, replaced by SD flash memory cards
MultiMedia was released to the public in 1997, two years after Toshiba released SmartMedia. Many media devices are compatible with the standard, and it will typically be used in media players, Pocket PCs or PDA devices. One of the true beauties of this format is that it's compatible with slots designed to take the dominant memory card in the flash industry today, SD memory. Since SD is slightly wider, the MMC fits easily into its place.
Today, MMC cards are found with capacities of up to 2 Gigs, and are commonly used in cell phones, digital cameras and media devices of every kind. The only company that still makes devices with an MMC slot is Nokia who, until recently, used this standard of flash storage exclusively for its handheld devices.
It's a convenient and compact form of flash memory. If you're looking for older second hand products and curious about the kinds of memory you can use MMC is a safe bet. If you buy yourself a 2 Gig card for an older device, you can be sure the card will still be usable in a newer device with an SD slot.