Sony Speeds Up Memory Sticks

Cobalt blue, was the pun intended or not?

Logically Sony would take into consideration their new memory stick when designing their new Clies for Palm OS 6 (a.k.a. 'Cobalt'). Curious though, how might one expect these newer sticks to be backwards compatible with older devices adhering to an older standard. Shall it be almost as flawless as if a USB 2.0 device were to be plugged into a USB 1.1 port?

I'd really prefer if Sony started using more universal types of storage media. It is obvious no other company wants to use MS unless Sony is just not permitting them use of technology.

If there is anyone who will manage to turn a good move (speeding up MS access for existing MS-compatible) devices, it'll be Sony with their ensouring MagicGate technology. The white MG sticks flopped *hard* upon their release 2 years ago and Sony's insistence to use them boggles anyone not affiliated with a major record label (as Sony is with Columbia, Epic, etc)

Truth be told, it's always been an uneasy alliance between Sony Computer, Sony Electronics, and Sony's Media groups (Columbia etc). There's a reason you never see a Sony-brand flash-based MP3 player:with the costly MG sticks, cheesy AATRAC "check-in" policies and so forth, they are an absolute waste in $. You can buy a decent mp3-playing Discman or any of numerous Clies and do a better job with "illegal" and non-protected MP3s than the lame Magic Gate players Sony's tried to toss onto the market for the past 3 years or so.

While SD in theory, a few years ago, looked like it might be Panasonic's version of MS, it has fortunately become far more widespread and popular than I ever envisioned. That way, there will always be a certain amount of leniency in the format that MS will never enjoy.

Rant: I personally refuse to buy ANY mp3 type player that requires me to check in/convert any file before I can put it on my player (Rio, Nomad, etc). If I cannot drag'n drop with Windows Explorer than I won't buy it, simple as that. USB 1.1 transfers take long enough as it is and I don't want to be bothered by any extra steps of flaky proprietary "Manager" software.

It's true that Sony loves proprietary solutions, but my DSC-F828 camera has a CompactFlash slot in addition to the Memory Stick slot.

Right, but that's still a half-a**ed impleementation of a CF slot--you have to store your mp3 files on a MS instead of the larger/cheaper CF cards etc. If the CF slot on the NX60/NX70 Clies were an afterthought, it's still a half-hearted implementation on the NX80 & NX73. If Sony could have somehow afforadably done it with internal wi-fi or a wi-fi MS (via dual MS slots) they would've done it and not thought twice. The fact that Sony stuck a CF slot on that pricey new camera just seems like a carrot to dangle in front of "semi-professional" photographers who might own several Microdrives or very large & pricey 1gb+ CF cards.

Yes, according to the Lexar press release of their own line of enhanced memory sticks:

Las Vegas, February 12, 2004 (PMA Booth H100) -- Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR), a leading manufacturer and marketer of high-performance digital media and accessories, today announced a new line of updated Memory Stick™ products that will have significantly increased read speeds. Available this spring in capacities of 64MB, 128MB and 256MB (total 128MBx2), the enhanced Memory Stick delivers data read speeds that are up to four times faster than current cards, when used with compatible (4-pin parallel), high-speed Memory Stick-enabled devices. The new Memory Stick cards are also compatible with serial interface Memory Stick-enabled products.

“Lexar is pleased to provide this advancement in Memory Stick technology,” said Dave Klenske, Director of Product Marketing, Lexar Media. “These new cards will improve consumer experience because with faster read speeds, users will have shorter download times and faster access to information stored on the card.”

In addition to the increase in read speed, the enhanced Memory Stick memory cards include MagicGate™ copy protection technology, which enables the secure distribution of commercial content, such as copyright protected digital music and digital images.

Lexar’s new Memory Stick will be available with expected retail pricing of $39.99, $59.99 and $99.99 for capacities of 64MB, 128MB and 256MB, respectively.

I could be wrong... but I think the MS PRO's read/write speed is 10mb per sec. If the new ones are "up to" 4 times faster and the old Mem sticks are 2... then... "up to" 8mb per sec (keyword obviously is "up to")

-Come with an open mind