What is Memory Stick ?

The pioneer of the innovation known as the memory stick is the brand Sony. A memory stick serves the function of a removable flash memory card format. This product that was launched by Sony in 1998 is now used to describe the whole family of memory sticks.

Over the years many new additions have been made in the family. The memory stick PRO is one of the later modifications which allow greater storage capacity and an increased pace of file transfer. Then you have the Memory Stick Duo which is a small form factor version of the original. The M2 is yet another version of the device which is by far the smallest of the lot. The latest addition to the family has been that of the Memory Stick PRO-HG which is used for high definition video and still cameras.

In the initial years the memory stick had a capacity of 128 MB. There was another version of the device that allowed two banks 128 MB that could be selected by a slider switch. This device basically had two cards of 128 MB squeezed in one body. Today you will be able to find a memory stick with a capacity of up to 16 GB. Sony is further involved in the development of a memory stick that will have a potential to store 32 GB.

When compared against all other forms of flash memory formats the memory stick stands unparalleled. Its amazing storage capability is matched by its long life. In terms of its durability a memory stick can be compared to Compact Flash and SD cars. Memory sticks are most commonly used as a storage media for portable devices. This form enables users to easily remove it for access to a personal computer. Even the digital cameras by Sony make use of memory sticks to hold the image files. In this way the user can load the pictures that he has taken using his Sony camera on to the computer with the help of the memory stick.

Memory sticks are also used with other devices such as the PlayStation Portable, PDAs, mobile phones, digital music players as well as other devices.

You will be able to find memory sticks in a wide range of formats with different form factors. The memory stick in its original form measures almost the size of a chewing gum stick. You will be able to find it in storage capabilities ranging from 4MB to 128MB. This format is no longer manufactured. Another version known as the memory stick select offered the users two cards of 128 MB partitioned with a switch. Although it offered the users more storage space it was fairly unpopular on a large scale.

The memory stick PRO is the latest and most popular form of the device. The manufacturers claim to be taking the storage capacity of this device up to 32 GB. These devices also offer high speed performance to the users.