Before we compare and contrast the Pro Duo and standard SD cards, we will need to understand what they are. By definition a memory card is an electronic storage device that is used for storing digital data. They are small, rewritable and are used mostly in small digital electronic gadgets such as digital cameras, laptops, mobile phones, MP3/MP4 players and electronic game consoles. Today, there are more than 400 brands available with thousands of models.
The Pro Duo Memory Card
The Pro Duo memory card, which is a product of Sony Corporation, was introduced in 2003. This is a digital storage device designed especially for use in small and portable electronic gadgets and devices such as mobile phones. The dimension of this memory storage device is about the size of a postage stamp -- maybe even a little smaller (31-by-20-by-16 mm). This product is an improved version of its predecessor, the memory stick duo, which had the maximum storage capacity of 128 MB and a transfer speed of 2.45 MB per second. The Pro Duo memory card was engineered to hold up to 32 GB of digital data, which includes music, video and photographs. The speed of transfer also improved to 20 MB/second for reading data and 18 MB/second for writing data.
Standard SD Card
The standard SD card is a product originally designed by SanDisk Corporation, Matsushita and Toshiba for portable devices. It was introduced to the market in 1999. The SD stands for "secure digital" and refers to storage and transfer of digital data. The standard SD card has a storage capacity of up to 4 GB and can store music, photographs and videos in digital format. The speed of transfer for this memory device is 22.5 MB/second for reading and writing digital data.
Size
While the SD measured 32-by-24-by-2.1 mm, the Pro Duo memory card measured 31-by-20-by-1.6 mm -- which made it a slimmer and smaller version.
Speed of Transfer of Data
The standard SD card transfer rate is much lower than that of the Pro Duo, which is one of the main reasons the latter is used in photography equipment. The latter allows for fast transfer and huge storage capacity, which is ideal for digital cameras and handycams.
Tags: digital data, memory card, storage capacity, storage device, digital cameras