The good old days of floppy disks and CDs are over. Now, people can save everything to a small card with thousands of times the capacity of the older technology. Good for storing photos, videos, and files of all sorts, memory cards make it easy to keep your devices organized and files accessible.

The memory card changed the way information was stored, and also improved the safety of that information. Unlike the common mechanical issues found in the traditional hard drives, memory cards use a solid-state media software that has fewer physical limitation and is more reliable over the long term.

What is a Memory Card?

So, what exactly is a memory card? It is a form of flash memory used to save digital information. Because of the way data is saved, the information cannot be lost once it is unplugged. Unlike a flash drive or USB port, you insert this card directly into a slot on your phone, computer, or tablet and your information can be transported from one device to another allowing you to edit, copy, and share the files stored on it.

Where Did They Come From?

The memory card was created by an employee at Toshiba in 1980. Then, it was the first of its kind. This was a large version that was mainly used in industrial companies using large computers.

Since that time, the cards have become smaller and easier to obtain. They are an inexpensive way to save digital content in one physical location.

What Kinds of Memory Cards are There?

You can use a memory card for just about anything these days. You will find them in your phones, gaming consoles, and computers. Another helpful use for memory cards is storing the hundreds of photos you take each year of your family, friends, and pets.

Compact Flash

The compact flash card is commonly used for photo storage but can also hold music and video recordings as well. These cards come in a universal size that should fit right into your camera.

SD Cards (Secure Digital)

The SD card is known for being a non-volatile form of media storage. It is capable of holding up to 2 GB of data or around 600 photos.

The SD also has an option for a micro card, this can be used to store photos and other digital information from devices like your phone, and then can be transferred to a larger port, that will fit into your computer making your pictures available to you.

SDHD (Secure Digital High Demand)

This card was designed with the same shape as size as the original but offers were created to hold high definition photos and videos. This is more geared towards photographers who take many pictures and need them to retain large, high-quality files. These cards hold up to 64 GB of memory, which is about 16000 photos or 800 minutes of HD video

Conclusion

No matter which one you use, there is no denying that the memory card on the market today makes saving digital files, photos, and videos a breeze.