(Another) New Memory Card Format

[Robert Levy]

http://www.sandisk.com/corporate_press.html

"SanDisk Corporation today introduced SanDisk T-Flash™, the world’s smallest removable flash memory storage format. It is similar in size and function to embedded flash memory but can also be readily removed and upgraded to allow for a range of memory capacities as well as interoperability with other consumer electronics devices.

Approximately the size of a fingernail, T-Flash is designed for new mobile phones that are compact yet fully-featured with storage-intensive multimedia applications such as digital cameras, video capture and playback, MP3 players, video games, personal organizers, Multimedia Message Service (MMS), email and voicemail capabilities.

The exceptionally small size of T-Flash (11mm x 15mm x1mm) represents approximately one quarter of the volume of the smallest removable flash cards available on the market today and allows handset manufacturers to incorporate significant amounts of removable storage capacity into their progressively smaller handsets without changing the physical size of the phone. To realize the small form factor, T-Flash uses advanced packaging technology and SanDisk’s latest NAND MLC flash memory and controller technologies. This technology is employed in SanDisk’s miniSD and TriFlash products and is a proven low cost/high volume production technology."



The bad news: this fragments the market even further. The somewhat good news: these new cards will be backwards-comatible with SD.

"When inserted into an available SD adapter, T-Flash converts into the SD card for interoperability with standard SD devices so consumers can exchange data between their T-Flash-equipped mobile phone and any SD compatible host, such as a digital camera, PDA or laptop PC."

Personally, I hope to stick with SD for quite a while now that I have a collection of cards that can be used in all of my devices: a camera, Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and a Tablet PC. I'm turned off by the idea of replacing all of those and any device which does not have an SD slot gets a "nay" vote from me. Sadly, this includes (if the leaked photos are to be believed) the Motorola MPx220 Smartphone which uses the newer mini-SD format.

Update: See Jason's previous post on PC World's preliminary coverage of this new format.

[Robert Levy]

http://www.sandisk.com/corporate_press.html

"SanDisk Corporation today introduced SanDisk T-Flash™, the world’s smallest removable flash memory storage format. It is similar in size and function to embedded flash memory but can also be readily removed and upgraded to allow for a range of memory capacities as well as interoperability with other consumer electronics devices.

Approximately the size of a fingernail, T-Flash is designed for new mobile phones that are compact yet fully-featured with storage-intensive multimedia applications such as digital cameras, video capture and playback, MP3 players, video games, personal organizers, Multimedia Message Service (MMS), email and voicemail capabilities.

The exceptionally small size of T-Flash (11mm x 15mm x1mm) represents approximately one quarter of the volume of the smallest removable flash cards available on the market today and allows handset manufacturers to incorporate significant amounts of removable storage capacity into their progressively smaller handsets without changing the physical size of the phone. To realize the small form factor, T-Flash uses advanced packaging technology and SanDisk’s latest NAND MLC flash memory and controller technologies. This technology is employed in SanDisk’s miniSD and TriFlash products and is a proven low cost/high volume production technology."



The bad news: this fragments the market even further. The somewhat good news: these new cards will be backwards-comatible with SD.

"When inserted into an available SD adapter, T-Flash converts into the SD card for interoperability with standard SD devices so consumers can exchange data between their T-Flash-equipped mobile phone and any SD compatible host, such as a digital camera, PDA or laptop PC."

Personally, I hope to stick with SD for quite a while now that I have a collection of cards that can be used in all of my devices: a camera, Pocket PCs, Smartphones, and a Tablet PC. I'm turned off by the idea of replacing all of those and any device which does not have an SD slot gets a "nay" vote from me. Sadly, this includes (if the leaked photos are to be believed) the Motorola MPx220 Smartphone which uses the newer mini-SD format.

Update: See Jason's previous post on PC World's preliminary coverage of this new format.

[Jerry Raia]

I wonder if they will be just as “Reliable” as their other cards. :wink:

[Malte]

I just hope it doesn't stifle the development and adoption of the miniSD, otherwise I'm all for it.

[possmann]

I'm with you on this one - Stick to improving the performance, reliabilty and capacity of the the SD card....

How small is small? I'm thinking the SD size is just about perfect - not too think where you think you could snap it, not too small were you could easily loose it or hold it...

I really hope it doesn't detract frtom improving on what we already have out there in the marketplace....