JUNE 2005 MA XIMUMPC 00
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF
Removable
Media
MMC
USED IN: MP3 players, digital
cameras, PDAs, cellphones
CURRENT MAXIMUM
CAPACITY: 1GB ($75)
COST PER MEGABYTE (AT
MAXIMUM CAPACITY): $0.08
DURABILITY: They look fragile,
but even we klutzes have yet to break one.
THE GOOD: Very small size; works in today’s
ubiquitous SD card slots.
THE BAD: SD cards have edged out this format.
PROGNOSIS: Lacking the encryption facility built
into SD cards, the compatibility with SD slots is
the only thing keeping this format alive.SmartMedia
USED IN: MP3 players, digital
cameras, PDAs, cellphones
CURRENT MAXIMUM
CAPACITY: 2GB ($200)
COST PER MEGABYTE (AT
MAXIMUM CAPACITY): $0.10
DURABILITY: Just like MMC cards,
these babies are pretty tough.
THE GOOD: Improves on MMC with built-in encryption
for read-only software distribution, faster transfer rate,
and lower power consumption.
THE BAD: Still physically too large for today’s
cellphones.
PROGNOSIS: SD’s balance of size, capacity, and
features makes it an ideal format for all types of personal
electronics; manufacturers agree, so expect to see SD
slots around for a very long time.miniSD
USED IN: Cameras, PDAs, cellphones
CURRENT MAXIMUM CAPACITY:
256MB ($60)
COST PER MEGABYTE (AT MAXIMUM
CAPACITY): $0.23
DURABILITY: Rigid plastic is tough, but dangerously
tiny size makes us nervous.
THE GOOD: miniSD brings oodles of storage to ultra-
compact digital cameras and cellphones; can be used in
SD slots with adapter.
THE BAD: Low adoption rate in consumer electronics.
THE INTERESTING: miniSD can be used in standard SD
card slots with the appropriate adapter.
PROGNOSIS: Borderline—backwards compatibility
with SD is a nice touch, but ultra-mini digital cameras
and camera phones might opt for the even smaller
microSD format.TransFlash/microSD
USED IN: Cellphones
CURRENT MAXIMUM CAPACITY:
256MB ($60)
COST PER MEGABYTE (AT MAXIMUM
CAPACITY): $0.23
DURABILITY: Very fragile; not intended for
frequent handling.
THE GOOD: The smallest flash memory formfactor
available in consumer electronics.
THE BAD: Fragile; not intended for frequent
handling and certainly not for roughhousing.
THE INTERESTING: TransFlash was ever so briefly
known as “T-Flash,” and now it is essentially being
rebranded as microSD. Ugh.
PROGNOSIS: Excellent—who doesn’t want more
storage for his or her cellphone camera?JUNE 2005 MA XIMUMPC 53
SmartMedia
USED IN: Vintage MP3 players and digital cameras
CURRENT MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 128MB ($20)
COST PER MEGABYTE: $0.16
DURABILITY: Very thin and prone to breakage.
THE GOOD: Way back when, the slender SmartMedia cards
allowed manufacturers to create smaller MP3 players and
digital cameras.
THE BAD: Must be handled with care; low capacity.
PROGNOSIS: Moribund—consumer electronics moved on
from this low-capacity, fragile format years ago.