The Sony Memory Stick
Sony's own flash memory
Memory stick is the name for Sony's proprietary flash memory format. It's been used by Sony since 1998 when it was first launched as a way to store images in Sony's digital cameras. The Memory Stick can also be used in just about any form of portable device that has need of storage. The term Memory Stick applies to the entire line of Sony Memory Sticks, which includes Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro and even Memory Stick Pro Duo. Sometimes it's mistakenly applied to any form of portable flash memory, but, because it's a proprietary format exclusive to Sony, it has little chance of ever being the standard in flash memory for any other company. Although other manufacturers are welcome to license the technology to use in their own devices, SD remains the most popular.
When Memory Stick first arrived on the scene in 1998, it was available from 4MB to 128MB. This size was easily expanded to 256 Megs with the introduction of Memory Stick Select, which allows extra banks of storage on the same Memory Stick. You could add up to four extra banks of 128 MB of memory on a single card. To access the extra banks users had to pull out the Memory Stick and flip a dip switch on the card itself, Similar to flipping over a tape or disc to hear what's on the other side. This has never been a popular option with users, but it has kept the Memory Stick alive for some time. Memory Stick Select in 256MB is still being made by Lexar.
How fast is Memory Stick?A question asked by many consumers. No one wants to wait forever, so here are the specs.
Standard Memory Stick:- Write Speed: 14.4 Mbit/s
- Read Speed: 19.6 Mbit/s
- Write Speed: 15 Mbit/s
- Read Speed: 160 Mbit/s
- Write Speed with High Speed mode: 80 Mbit/s
Memory Stick Pro expands the Sony Memory Stick line to greater capacity and speeds. Currently, the largest Memory Stick Pro made is 4 GM. Most devices that are compatible with original Memory Stick are also compatible with Memory Stick Pro. Some older units that aren't compatible with both out of the box can be upgraded with a flash ROM update. Memory Stick Pro cards that carry a capacity of over a Gigabyte are made to support High Speed Mode, which makes them marginally faster than a regular Memory Stick.
Memory Stick Duo brings the Memory Stick line to a new level of portability. Slightly smaller than an SD card, it was designed to fit devices where space was a premium. This is the memory stick of choice for Sony - Ericsson cell phones and Sony's PSP game system. The trouble with Memory Stick Duo is that it's limited to 128MB banks of storage, just like regular Memory Stick cards. Where Memory Stick Duo's compact size meets the capacity of Memory Stick Pro is in the Memory Stick Pro Duo. Memory Stick Pro Duo gives the large capacity of Pro in the slim sizes of Memory Stick Duo.
Memory Stick Pro Duo with High Speed mode support is Sony's most advanced portable storage yet. It's what you're going to use with the latest Sony equipment out there; however, very few non-Sony products will touch it. Part of the reason is it's a proprietary format controlled by Sony. There are advantages to using a memory storage format that is more open, like SD. One good reason why it's good for the average consumer that Memory Stick Pro Duo hasn't caught on is that they're very expensive. A Memory Stick Pro Duo will cost much more than a comparable SD or Compact Flash card.