What memory card do I need to buy?

Names can be confusing - Memory cards, flash drives, USB sticks, SD cards, external hard drives. What do they all mean, and which device is right for your particular needs? In this article we will try to give you the information that you need in order to make an informed purchase.

SD Cards 

SD cards are ultra lightweight stamp-sized storage devices which are mainly used to save pictures or video to. They are most commonly found in digital cameras, but they are also used in many mobile phones and tablet computers. They come in Standard-Capacity (SDSC), High-Capacity (SDHC) and eXtended-Capacity (SDXC). These relate to storage capacity, with an SDSC only capable of holding up to 4GB, whereas an SDXC can be as large as 2TB.

If your digital camera comes with an SD card, they are very easy to remove and replace if you want to buy one with a bigger capacity. All the leading digital camera manufacturers support SD cards in their products, so there is no reason to worry whether or not certain brands will have compatibility issues. The main manufacturer of SD cards are Sandisk, but there are plenty of other reputable brands making them.

Click here to see the best-selling SD cards

USB Flash Drives 

Unlike SD cards, USB flash drives are not specifically designed for mobile devices. USB flash drives are commonly used for storage, backup and transfer of computer files. They are the modern day floppy disk. Small and easy to plug in and use, USB flash drives are extremely useful for carrying information between places or computers so that you always have your important files to hand. They have no mechanical moving parts, and are very robust.

USB flash drives are really useful for people who use multiple computers, maybe at home and at work. The drives come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with lots of cool colourful designs. They don’t have the storage capacities of external hard drives, but are much more flexible and truly portable.

Click here to see the best-selling USB Flash Drives

External Hard Drives 

If you need to store lots of electronic data, then you need an external hard drive. These are the kings of portable storage, and are available with capacities of up to 2 terabytes. They are typically wallet-sized or slightly larger, and they normally connect to your computer via USB. An external hard drive is an excellent way to backup all your important files, in case you have problems with your computer or its built-in hard drive.

Robust and built to last, external hard drives are a great way to ensure that you can take everything you need on the move with you. We live in a time where most of us have a ton of digital files which are important to us. Family photos and videos, your music library, your documents, all of this can be lost if it is not properly backed up. An external hard drive is an affordable way to ensure that you keep all of your files safe.

Click here to see the best-selling External Hard Drives