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Sony releases new partially-compatible Memory Stick
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By Larry Garfield, Tuesday 14 January 2003  
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Sony has released two new types of Memory Stick to increase capacity up as far as 1 GB and drive up speed. Most current users won't be able to use it, however, as it's not fully backward compatible.
After a lull in their Memory Stick flash card line, which until now capped out at 128 MB cards, Sony has come back with two new versions of the Memory Stick format with new cards available as high as 1 GB.
 | The Memory Stick Pro holds more, but not all devices support it
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Developed jointly by Sony and SanDisk, the Memory Stick Pro is physically the same size as traditional memory sticks, but thanks to new circuitry will be able to scale to higher capacities. In optimized devices, Sony also claims an improved transfer speed of up to 160 Mbps and a write speed of 15 Mbps. The translucent Memory Stick Pro cards will all include Sony's MagicGate SDMI-based encryption system. MagicGate is a form of so-called "Digital Rights Management" that attempts to enforce copyright law by restricting what a user can and cannot do with their files. Independent of the MagicGate system, Memory Stick Pro includes a separate protection function capable of securing all media on the card to prevent third party access in case of loss or theft. This security system uses a new controller unit. Available at retail in April, 256MB, 512MB and 1GB Memory Stick Pro media will sell for about $190 USD, $440 USD and $880 USD, respectively.
Not all devices will support the new format, however. Some products already have support for the Memory Stick Pro built-in, suggesting that Sony has been "priming the market" for some time, while others will require a software upgrade. In particular, Sony's CLIE NX-line and NZ-line of Palm OS handhelds will support the Memory Stick Pro with a software patch. No other members of the CLIE line will support the new Memory Stick.
The second new card is the Memory Stick with Memory Select Function. Offering support on all devices, Memory Stick media with Memory Select Function incorporates multiple 128MB memory units which are selected mechanically. That is, it is multiple 128 MB cards packed together into a single standard-sized Memory Stick with a physical switch to allow the user to remove the card and switch to a different internal module. Sony expects users to be able to use different modules within the card to categorize their data into, say, "business" and "entertainment". The first Memory Stick with Memory Select Function will be a two-module 256 MB card.
Memory Stick is currently the second most supported card format in the world thanks to Sony's wide-reaching market penetration, behind Compact Flash. CF cards have been available in 1 GB capacities for a year and a half, and currently sell for around $700 USD. SmartMedia is the third most common format, followed by Secure Digital.
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