CompactFlash was introduced in 1994 by SanDisk Corp as a smaller alternative to the PCMCIA / PC card. CompactFlash was the second small form factor memory card based on the flash memory technology and has one-forth the volume of the PC Card.

CompactFlash can be found in two physical sizes, type I and II. Both types have the same dimensions except in thickness, type I is 3.3 mm thick and the type II is 5 mm thick. The CompactFlash Type I is the most common used and can also be used in type II slots but not vice versa. Since Type II is bigger in volume than Type I it allows it to have higher storage capacity.

Since CompactFlash has the second biggest form factor, after PC Card, in the memory card industry, about the size of a matchbox, it is not able to be used in many small portable devices like mobile phones and digital audio players. CompactFlash is mostly employed by professional digital cameras, due to the high storage capacity, high data transfer speed and low price per megabyte. It is expected that CompactFlash will lose in popularity to smaller memory card standards and will evidently have the same fate as the PC Card standard.

The chassis of the CompactFlash, mostly the Type I, is also used to host expansion modules with Wi-Fi, ethernet, digital camera and other capabilities. The chassis of the CompactFlash Type II is used to host the MicroDrive memory card standard which, in contrast to the rest of the memory card standards, is based on hard disk drive technology.

The first Memory Stick card was introduced in 1998 by Sony Corporation mostly to be used by digital cameras and other electronic devices manufactured by Sony. The limitations of the purple coloured Memory Stick in storage capacity, max 128 MB, and transfer speed, 2.45 MB/sec, contributed to the introduction of the Memory Stick PRO.

Sony Corporation, in cooperation with SanDisk Corporation, introduced in 2003 the Memory Stick PRO platform. It has the same physical format, about the stick of gum, as the standard Memory Stick card but offers higher storage capacity and higher transfer speed. Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO are manufactured only by Sony, SanDisk and Lexar. The standard Memory Stick can always be used in a Memory Stick PRO slot and in most of the cases a PRO card can be used in a standard Memory Stick slot. We recommend you to look in the products manual for finding out if a Memory Stick PRO can be used in your products Memory Stick slot. However you will not be able to utilise the higher transfer speed that the Memory Stick PRO has to offer when using it on a standard Memory Stick slot. In cases like that the PRO card will have the same transfer speed as a standard Memory Stick.

Memory Stick Duo was introduced in 2003 by Sony Corporation as the second form factor memory card in the Memory Stick family. It is a smaller alternative to the Memory Stick and was developed to be used in small portable electronic devices, mostly mobile phones. It has the size of a postage stamp and has about half the volume of a Memory Stick.

The limitations of the Memory Stick Duo in storage capacity, max 128 MB, and transfer speed, 2.45 MB/sec, contributed to the introduction of the Memory Stick PRO Duo, later in 2003. The PRO platform was developed jointly by Sony Corporation and SanDisk Corporation. It has the same physical format as the standard Memory Stick Duo but the PRO platform offers higher storage capacity and higher transfer speed.

The Memory Stick Duo can always be used in a Memory Stick PRO Duo slot and in most of the cases a PRO card can be used in a Memory Stick Duo slot. We recommend you to look in the products manual for finding out if a Memory Stick PRO Duo can be used in your products Memory Stick Duo slot. However you will not be able to make use of the higher transfer speed that the Memory Stick PRO Duo has to offer when using it on a standard Memory Stick Duo slot. In cases like that the PRO card will have the same transfer speed as a standard Memory Stick Duo.

All Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards always come with a Memory Stick or a Memory Stick PRO adaptor making them compatible to all Memory Stick slots. The Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo can be found branded only under the name of Sony, SanDisk and Lexar. The Memory Stick Duo and PRO are almost exclusively employed by Sony and SonyEricsson products, mostly by SonyEricssons mobile phones and Sonys PlayStation Portable, PSP.

The write protection switch on the back side of the card is not a standard feature on all Memory Stick Duo and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards.

In 2006 Sony and Sandisk introduced the third form factor memory card in the Memory Stick family, after Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo. The new much smaller Memory Stick Micro is about one-fourth the size of Memory Stick Duo. Memory Stick Micro or M2 is aimed at use in mobile phones and ultra small portable devices.

The Memory Stick Micro is based on the PRO platform, which is used by both Memory Stick PRO and Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, meaning that it can offer high storage capacity and high transfer speed in a much smaller physical format. The only difference from the PRO cards will be the fact of having lower operating voltage through being dual-voltage. This will meet the demand from the electronics manufactures for lower power consumption contributing to longer lasting battery life for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices.

Memory Stick Micro cards come with a Memory Stick PRO adaptor making them compatible to all Memory Stick PRO slots.

The MMC card or MultiMediaCard was introduced in 1997 by SanDisk Corporation and Siemens AG. At that point the MMC card was the smallest memory card, about the size of a postage stamp. The MMC card is very similar to the Secure Digital Memory Card, the SD Memory Card is actually based on the MMC card. They have almost the same form factor the only differences are that the SD Memory Cards are slightly thicker and they have a write protection switch.

Since the MMC card had a slow transfer speed of 2.5 MB/sec a new high performance version of the MMC card was introduced in 2005 by the name of MMCplus. This has a theoretical data transfer speed of up to 52 MB/sec.

The MultiMediaCard Association announced that by the end of 2005 the secureMMC application will be available only for the MMCplus and MMCmobile memory cards. The secureMMC is a copyright protection application that features DRM, Digital Rights Management, and VPN, Virtual Private Network, capabilities.

Since the MMC cards are thinner they can be used in all SD Memory Card slots but not the vice versa. Based on that fact the MMC and MMCplus memory cards can be used in SD Memory Cards slots they are today the most compatible memory cards in the market. It is important to keep in mind that music stored on MMCplus or standard MMC cards my not be able to play back when inserted into a SD Memory Card slot due to the copyright protection features supported by the SD slots.

RS-MMC, Reduced Size MultiMediaCard, was introduced in 2003 by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) as the second form factor memory card in the MultiMediaCard family. The RS-MMC is a smaller version of the standard MMC card, approximately half in size, and was specifically designed to be used by mobile phones and other small portable devices.

In 2005 the Dual Voltage (DV) RS-MMC was introduced. It is basically the same card like the standard RS-MMC but operates with dual voltage, 1.8V and 3.3V, leading to lower power consumption which contributes to longer lasting battery life for the host devices. The DV RS-MMC and the RS-MMC are completely compatible with each other but some mobile phones only operate with 1.8V cards so it is important to check before buying.

Later in 2005 the MMCmobile was introduced which is a further development of the DV RS-MMC that offers much faster data transfer speed. The MMCmobile has a very fast 52 MB/sec theoretical data transfer speed rating. It is about 20 times faster than the regular RS-MMC.

The MMCmicro, formerly known as S-CARD introduced by Samsung, was adopted and introduced in 2005 by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA) as the third form factor memory card in the MultiMediaCard family. MMCmicro is the smallest, about the size of a fingernail, memory card in the MultiMediaCard family and among the smallest in the world. It was specifically designed for being used in mobile phones and other small portable devices.

The MMCmicro memory card is available with an adaptor, MMCplus. This makes it not only compatible to all MMC and MMCplus slots but also to all SD Memory Card slots. It is important to keep in mind that music stored on MultiMediaCards my not be able to play back when inserted into a SD Memory Card slot due to the copyright protection features supported by the SD slots.

The SD Memory Card or Secure Digital was introduced in 2001 by SanDisk Corporation, Matsushita (Panasonic) and Toshiba. The SD Memory Card was based on the MultiMediaCard, MMC, memory card standard and has almost the same form factor, the size of a postage stamp, the only differences are that the SD memory card is slightly thicker and has a write protection switch. Since MMC cards are thinner than SD Memory Cards they can be used in all SD Memory Card slots but not vice versa.

The SD Memory Card is today the most common used memory card. It can be found in most digital cameras, PDAs and in many other electronic devices. The SD Memory Card slots can be used for more than flash memory cards. The SDIO, Secure Digital In & Out, is the general name for the many expansion modules that can be found in the SD Memory Card's form factor. SDIO modules can be inserted in the slot and be used for other functions like Bluetooth adapters, GPS receivers, digital cameras, TV tuners, etc.

The SD Memory Card was the first memory card to be introduced in the Secure Digital family, which today consists of three members. In 2003 the miniSD format, 60 % smaller than the SD Memory Card, was introduced as the second member in the Secure Digital family. In 2005 the microSD was introduced as the third and the smallest member in the Secure Digital family. miniSD and microSD come with an adaptor, they can be used in all SD Memory Card slots.

What is SDHC?

To support the higher capacity needs, SD cards are now requiring a different design. The new SD 2.0 specifications - which supports 4GB and up - is called Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC). The SD Association has created and defined 3 speed classes to help you identify speed and performance capabilities/minimum requirements of SDHC cards and their SDHC host products. Details on the SD 2.0 specification: http://www.sdcard.org or SanDisk.com/SDHC.

Cards address data (read and write) at numerous speeds. Many factors impede this performance. SDHC guarantees a minimum read and write speed necessary to handle recording high quality video and audio. The maximum card speed may vary, but you can always depend on SDHC cards to meet your SDHC host product's high quality performance requirements.

Because SDHC works differently (supports the new higher capacity cards) this new card format is not backwards compatible with legacy SD format host devices.

Go to the SD Card Association's website for more information.

The miniSD was introduced in 2003 by SanDisk Corporation in cooperation with Matsushita (Panasonic) and Toshiba. Later in that year the miniSD format was adapted by the SD Card Association as the second form factor memory card in the Secure Digital family. MiniSD is a smaller version of the SD memory Card format, about 60% smaller in volume, and offers the same benefits as the SD Memory Card except the write protect switch.

MiniSD was designed specifically to be used in small portable electronic devices like digital cameras and mobile phones and always come with a SD Memory Card adaptor. They are compatible with all SD Memory Card slots when used with the adapter.

TrashFlash, formerly known as T-Flash, was introduced by SanDisk Corporation in 2004 as the world's smallest memory card, approximately the size of a fingernail. TransFlash was specifically designed for being used in mobile phones. Motorola was the first mobile phone manufacturer to adopt the TransFlash memory card standard.

In the 3rd quarter of 2005 TransFlash was adopted by the SD Card Association as the third form factor memory card in the Secure Digital family, after SD Memory Card and miniSD. After the adoption, TransFlash changed name to microSD. The microSD has exactly the same dimensions and specifications as the TransFlash and therefore both memory cards are completely compatible to each other.

Today the microSD is the most common used memory card in mobile phones and the SD Card Association's objective is to make microSD a de facto memory card standard for all mobile phones. All TransFlash and microSD cards always come with a SD Memory Card adaptor, which makes them compatible to all SD Memory Card slots. The microSD is about 10% in volume compared to SD Memory Card.

The USB, Universal Serial Bus, Flash Drive was introduced as an alternative to floppy disks with the advantage of being more reliable, more durable, much faster and with much larger storage capacity. Today the USB Flash Drives have completely replaced the aging floppy disks. Since they are mostly used to store and transfer digital files between computers the USB Flash Drives are seen as a complement to memory cards. Facts like size and lack of USB interface on small portable devices contribute also to the fact of not being a competitive storage format to memory cards.

Considering that every new desktop computer, laptop computer and printer has at least one USB interface the USB Flash Drive standard is the most compatible flash memory device for transferring digital files to and from a computer.

Since USB Flash Drives do not have a standardized form factor they can be found in many different sizes and designs, but in general they are no bigger than a lighter or a pack of gum. The same applies for the USB Flash Drive as a name, since it is not a standardized trademark it can be found under many names. Such as Jump Drive, Pocket Drive and Pen Drive, still the USB Flash Drive name is the most common used when referring to USB based flash memory devices.

USB Flash Drives can be found with two different data transfer speeds. The USB 1.1 standard has a transfer speed of 1.5 MB/sec or 8 X and the USB 2.0 has a transfer speed of 60 MB/sec or 400 X. The speed of the USB 2.0 is the fastest in the memory card industry.

The xD-Picture card was introduced in 2002 by Fuji Film and Olympus as a replacement to the older SmartMedia card. It is produced exclusively by Toshiba and can be found branded only under the name of Fujifilm and Olympus.

The xD-Picture card format was developed to be used by digital cameras and is more or less used by Fujifilm and Olympus digital cameras. Like the SmartMedia card, the xD-Picture card does not incorporate a controller chip which allows it to have small form factor but at the same time making it dependable to the host device's controller chip.

This memory card is not that popular by digital camera manufactures since they have to incorporate the controller chip into the electronic device, which adds costs and volume. In 2005 a new version of xD-Picture card was introduced called Type M. This uses Multi-Level Cell technology in contrast to the Single-Level Cell technology that standard xD-Picture cards are use. This makes the xD-Picture card Type M less expensive in exchange of being less high performance in terms of lower transfer speeds (read 4 MB/sec and write 2.5 MB/sec), lower cell endurance and higher power consumption.

In late 2005 another version of the xD-Picture card was introduced, Type H, offering higher transfer speeds. Type H is 2 to 3 times faster than the standard or Type M version, the exact transfer speed depends on the digital camera. In most of the cases the different versions of the xD-Picture card are compatible with each other, but not always. We recommend you to look at the digital camera's manual if you want to find out the versions that your digital camera is compatible with.

Some memory card readers may require firmware upgrades for the newly introduced Type M card, otherwise they will not be able to work with the memory card. Fujifilm branded xD-Picture cards do not support the panoramic mode that can be found on Olympus digital cameras. For being able to use that feature you will need an Olympus branded xD-Picture card.

A flash card reader allows you to read from (and write to) your flash card via your PC or Mac.

They come in different shapes and sizes. The cheaper ones usually accommodate only one type of card. As the price increases the capability to access more of the different types of flash card available also increases.

For example, if you only wish to access your photos from your Compact Flash card, a dedicated Compact Flash card reader will do for a few pounds.

If you need to access different types of cards some of the more expensive readers can accept Secure Digital, MMC, Memory Sticks, xD and so on, as well as Compact Flash cards.

Readers either connect via a USB or FireWire port on your computer. You must check which you require.

Some high-end readers are required for the latest fastest cards, such as the SDHC cards and Extreme IV Compact Flash.

The smaller readers can resemble a USB pen drive, with slots on the side for your card(s). While other readers are designed to be desk mounted and connected to your computer via a supplied cable.

Card adapters enable a small format card to be used in a device that accepts the original full size version of that card.

For example a Mini Secure Digital card can be inserted into a adapter that is the size of the original, standard sized Secure Digital card, and hence be used as a normal SD card.

Adapters are quite cheap as they do not incorporate any electronics, yet enable you to save some money by not having to buy cards of different sizes, you can use one card in more than one device by using an adapter.

Please note these are usually just to change the size of a particular format of card, and not to change the format of the card itself, e.g. a SD card to a xD card.

PCMCIA adapters allow you to use memory cards in the PC card slot of a laptop.

Accessories for your memory cards.

If you are a regular user of memory cards (especially professional photographers, estate agents etc) a memory card case helps to keep you cards organised, and more importantly safe.

Memory cards don't have to cost a lot, but the data held on them can be very important, so why not look after your memory cards by keeping them in a case that will protect them from scratches, drops, static and even water!

Stay reminded of your favourite memories with a digital photo frame.

A desktop photo frame will flip through all the photographs you save to it so you can always see a new picture whenever you glance at your photo frame. It also saves getting out the old photo album or changing the picture in the old frame.

They require a power supply and come in different frame sizes and colour schemes. Most allow you to change the colour of the frame with interchangeable frames.

They can also play movies and sound that accompany pictures, and use different transition effects to flip between photos.

They accept a variety of memory card so you are not tied to one format. Simply insert the card containing your pictures into the photo frame and it will start to cycle through the images.

If you do not have a card reader the photo frames can be connected directly to your computer to transfer new photos. Some frames even have WiFi and hence can have new photos added (or removed) without even touching it!

The Digital Photo Album is a little different. This again accepts a variety of card but connects to your TV. A remote control is provided so you can sit back and watch your videos, and holiday snaps from the comfort of you arm chair. It's the modern slide show.

More commonly referred to as an MP3 player, a digital audio player or "DAP" is a portable, handheld digital music player that stores, organises and plays MP3 and often other audio files, also known as codecs. Most DAPs are powered by rechargable batteries, some of which are not user replaceable should they wear out. Listening to music stored on DAPs is typically done through earphones, but external speakers and docking devices are also available.

Flash-based Players - These are non mechanical solid state devices that hold digital audio files on internal flash memory or removable flash media, such as memory cards. Due to technological advancements in flash memory, these originally low-storage devices are now available commercially ranging up to 16GB. Because they are solid state and do not have moving parts they require less battery power and may be more resilient to hazards such as dropping or fragmentation than hard disk-based players. Basic MP3 player functions are commonly integrated into USB keydrives.

Hard drive-based Players or Digital Jukeboxes - Devices that read digital audio files from a hard disk drive (HDD). These players have higher capacities currently ranging up to 160GB. At typical encoding rates, this means that thousands of songs - perhaps an entire music collection - can be stored on one player. Because of the storage capacity, devices that also display video and pictures are often hard disk drive based. Such multi-media devices are usually called Portable Media Players or Personal Media Players (PMPs).

We sell replacement batteries for Digital Cameras, Camcorders and Games Consoles.

You can view our complete list of batteries for cameras from manufacturers like Canon, JVC and Sony, or use our battery finder which will locate the correct battery for you after you have entered the make and model of your battery.

Our batteries are compatible batteries for your device.

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