Please rate the durability/price/storage among these memory cards?

Can you guys please rate the durability, average price, average transfer speed, and max storage among these memory cards?

-SD Cards and Transflash/Micro SD (I have an adaptor)
-MMC Cards
-Memory Stick
-Memory Stick Pro
-xD-Picture Card (What is this anyway?)

I'm looking for a card to store some personal files. Need something durable, wouldn't want the card to fail on me. I will be using it in my 5-in-1 media memory card reader on my Dell.

 

That's a lot of stuff to research. I would choose Secure Digital (SD) simply because you are more likely to find a reader that reads that than any of the other formats you listed.

Do not get xD Picture Card. It's hard to find readers for those. I know Kodak cameras use them, and they are a bit smaller than an SD card.

 

Actually, xD cards are used by Olympus and Fuji. I would advise against them, as like the Sony Memory Sticks you'll pay a premium compared to SD cards or Compact Flash.

CF are available in sizes up to 16GB, while SD cards are available at up to 8GB although many readers/cameras can't use them. Standard SD goes to 2GB, after that you have SDHC, which isn't backwards compatible. What capacity would you need? If it's 2GB or under, I'd definitely go for the SD card... otherwise I'd go for CF.

Why not leave the card reader at home and use something like the Sandisk Ultra II SD plus USB?

 

Yeah well I was leaning towards an SD card. Probably end up getting the 4GB one.

MS Pro and MS are Sony I believe. So they are a bit expensive. I think the MMC cards are older, bigger, and probably less durable then these two, although i'm not sure.

Edit:

Can't use "CF" either. My laptop doesn't have a built in reader for that format (5 in 1 card reader built in).

Most likely I will get the SD card it seems now. 4GB. Thanks.

 

As I mentioned above (via an edit, so you may not have seen it), 4GB and above cards adhere to the new SDHC standard and may not work with many of the current cameras or card readers.

 

Ah, those are the cameras that use it. Can't say I'm too good at identifying cameras.

 

Well the card reader is in a brand new Dell XPS. Shouldn't the latest readers be able to read them?

 

Sorry, but there's no guarantee it'll work unless the card reader was made in the last 6 months or so... definitely a case of try before you buy.

Is there anything wrong with using a standard USB key? That'll work.

 

Well I got the notebook just 1 week ago. Don't know how long ago the XPS line was first offered.

USB key is my other option. I'm now trying to figure out whether the SD card or a USB jump drive will fit my needs. Data is photos and videos, about 2.5GB.

 

In that case I would definitely go for a 4 GB usb key. It'll work in ANY computer, not just those with a card reader. Plus it will likely be more durable than an sd card. If you must go the card route, I would suggest sd simply because of its much more universal compatibility than xd.

 

by far the cheapest solution is one of those pocket-sized hard drives - connect via USB and should only cost $80-100. 4GB of flash memory is not cheap whether USB or SD. And as mentioned USB is as close to universal as there is.

 

+1 for Strikeback's suggestion. A Seagate pocketdrive would probably be perfect.

 

i use a standard Sandisk 2.0 GB SD card. I use it in my Canon A630 Digital Camera, holds about 600 huge pictures (great resolution) at 8.0 megapixels. And works easily with my e1505 5 in 1 card reader.