So You Want Capacity?

Capacity is another issue that may or may not be a problem. Some flash memory formats, due to their specific form factor and the current state of flash memory technology, may be limited to a maximum capacity per card. However, recently we have seen these barriers come tumbling down. For example, Lexar Media just announced that they have a 1GB Compact Flash (CF) card that is now shipping. Unfortunately, the price of the card is out of reach for all but photo professionals or special applications, where nothing less will do. The good news is that the capacities of flash memory continue to grow.

With regard to the size of flash media, the current trend is to push the size of the storage forward. With the introduction of devices such as the new five mega-pixel camera, it is easy to understand why there is such a continued attraction to the development of even bigger flash memory modules. Since the introduction of the Apple iPod, many users now want to add larger, additional memory to their solid state MP3 players. If you want to use large flash modules, then currently the Compact Flash (CF) format has to be the format of choice. CF already has modules that are 192MB, 256MB, 320MB, 512MB, and of course, the 1GB CF module that we already mentioned from Lexar Media. Most other formats are currently limited to 64MB or 128MB. Keep this in mind if you are looking for a device that can support what we refer to as "Super Size" flash modules.

Is There Really Any Difference In Features Between Modules?

No matter which format you choose, the physical construction of the contacts for the flash memory card is clearly the most important factor to consider. This is the part of each module that separates the higher quality modules from their cheaper counterparts. Due to the fact that the contacts are almost like moving parts, they can wear out over time, and cheap modules are more likely to have problems with this. So, when buying flash memory, should you go ahead and buy a better name brand module that has a longer warranty, or should you just get the cheapest module you can find, and when it is dead, just throw it away? In our opinion, a long warranty is a good thing, and we suggest that you only buy modules that have a long warranty. Typically, the generic modules don't have the warranty or the company name and reliability to back up the products. Look for both a known brand name and a long warranty of five years or more. Naturally, brand name modules with a long warranty cost more, and depending on your application, this expense may or may not be acceptable for you.

What about all the hype over higher speed flash modules? Are they really any faster? The answer to this question is, yes, higher speed can make a difference in the performance of the module. Will it be a speed increase that you are going to notice? That depends on what you are using for reading and writing to the card. If you have an external reader that connects to the computer with a Firewire connection, this is where you will likely notice a difference in speed. Some of the Firewire flash card readers are able to take advantage of the faster interface and read and write data to and from the card more quickly than USB. However, this will change when the USB 2.0 enabled flash card readers appear on the market. Currently, while you might see some additional enhanced performance over most of the standard flash cards, in most cases you will notice little or no differece in performance. The interface bandwidth between the module and the device is the ultimate limiting factor. A fact to remember is that, although a company is making higher speed flash memory available, your device and reader won't be able to take advantage of it if they are choked by an interface technology that can't read or write the data any faster.

"USB enabled modules" is another buzz phrase that is somewhat of a mystery to us. A module that claims to be USB enabled means that you use a "dumb" reader to connect the module to your computer. The module itself has a USB interface on the flash card, and doesn't require the typical electronics that most readers need. The upside to this is that external readers are cheaper, but the downside to this is that external readers will not be able to read or write data from a typical non-USB enabled flash card. While you can use the USB enabled flash card in any other reader, it understandably leads to confusion for the consumer.