Memory Stick Price Cuts

Sony was among the first companies to embrace little flash disks for portable devices such as digital cameras, but the memory stick is far from being the standard in removable flash devices. For the most part, when you hear someone say "memory stick," you think "Sony Device," because the electronics industry as a whole has not exactly been eating up the little chewing gum shaped devices. In fact, a group called the Secure Digital Association is pushing an entirely different flash configuration supported by Canon, Casio, JVC, LG Electronics, Palm, Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba. In addition, we also have devices that use the CompactFlash format. I wish they would all just get along so that we don't end up with a bunch of expensive little flash disks in our junk drawer after electronics manufacturers settle on some type of standard. Sony's new pricing strategy for Memory Stick media may be an attempt to win the Flash popularity contest. Effective yesterday, Memory Stick media in 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB and 128MB capacities were discounted to $25, $35, $50, $80 and $150, respectively.