Are all SD cards the same?
SD cards come in various sizes and storage capacities. It is a flash memory chip that can store all types of data and can be inserted into a growing number of readers such as cameras, printer, cell phones and MP3 players.
SD card
The original SD card is about the size of a postage stamp. It can conveniently hold images, music and data and can be removed from one device reader to another with ease. For example, you can take pictures with your camera, remove the card and put it directly into your PC or printer to perform other tasks.
Capacity
The current capacity maximum is 32GB. Companies are competing heavily to be the first to increase that incrementally, maxing out at 2TB (2,000GB).
High Capacity
The SD Association has developed standards for the SD industry. One of the ways is by labeling the card with an HC to designate its approved high capacity index. They have established three speed classes of data transfer: Class 2, Class 4 and Class 6, which translates into 2, 4 and 6 MB per second. If you need speed, be sure you get a Class 6 SDHC card.
Physical Sizes
There are many different sizes of SD cards. There is the standard SD, miniSD and microSD. Other than size, there is little difference in capability. It is just a matter of what size your device requires. The mini and the micro have adapters so they can be used in the traditional SD slot. If you are in the market for a new card, it's best that you get the more versatile mini with an adapter so you can use it in more devices.
Extended Capacity
SDXC cards are capable of retaining from 32GB up to 2TB of data files with a bus interface of up to 104MB per second, with capabilities in the future of up to 300MB per second.
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