512MB miniSD Cards Coming Soon

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.mpx200.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1515' target='_blank'>http://www.mpx200.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1515</a><br /><br /></div>"ATP Electronics Inc., a leading manufacturer of memory products, announced today that it will introduce world’s first 512MB miniSD at Computex 2004 where ATP is demonstrating products. ATP miniSD cards mainly target at the next-generation smart mobile phones with built-in cameras, video recorders, MP3 players, video games, personal information management (PIM), email and voicemail functions which require intensive storage."<br /><br />Since the upcoming MPx220 looks like it will be using the miniSD format, I thought I would pass this along. I'm glad to see that the current 256MB limit is not going to last. However; I'm not very happy to see <i>another</i> flash memory format. Do we really need smaller flash memory? SD cards are already pretty small.

[possmann]

any news on adapters? Like can I use my miniSD card, with an adapter, in my other SD/MMC card slots? Camera/PPC?

[Mike Temporale]

My understanding is that there is an adapter that allows you to do that. However, at this point it's still too early to say. Who knows if the adapter will ship the same time that the memory does, or a year later.

[Ben]

All of the announcements I have read (that discuss the issue) indicate that the adaptor ships with every card, and does make it completely compatible with the traditional SD slots on phones, cameras, and pdas.

See the second picture in this orginal March 13, 2003 press release:

http://www.sandisk.com/pressrelease/031303_minisd.htm

[Mike Temporale]

Thanks for the link! I have added the image in question below.

http://www.smartphonethoughts.com/images/minisd64MB_withadapter.jpg

The only question is will they ship the adapter at the same time, with every memory card, or at some point down the road. I don't want an adapter every time I buy some memory. That would be such a waste. Hopefully there is some choice in this, and you can buy memory with or without the adapter.

[possmann]

now that IS interesting... it would almost make me feel better about buying the mpx220...

hmmmm

[Ben]

Yes, that would be a waste if they ship an adapter everytime. The ones I've seen sell it with the adaptor without charging much for the adapter (they claim it is free, of course, but I am sure that the cost is increased a little). However, if and when miniSD catches on (and I hear that it is growing in popularity in Asia), I am sure that manufacturers will sell both with and without the adapter, since there will be the demand for both.