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Introduction
Introduced in 2001, the Secure Digital (SD) standard is actually the second-generation derivative of the MultiMediaCard (MMC) standard. The main functional difference between the two standards is the inclusion of copy protection features in the SD standard.
Compared to CompactFlash cards like the recently reviewed Seagate 8GB Photo Hard Drive, SD cards are midgets! They are not only much smaller than CompactFlash cards, they are also much thinner.
But if that's not enough, the SD standard also supports two smaller form factors - the MiniSD and microSD cards! Take a look at this comparison of the three SD form factors :
Interface |
Voltage |
Pin Count |
Width |
Height |
Thickness |
Secure Digital |
2.7V - 3.3V |
9 |
32 mm |
24 mm |
2.1 mm |
MiniSD |
2.7V - 3.3V |
11 |
20 mm |
21.5 mm |
1.4 mm |
microSD |
2.7V - 3.3V |
8 |
15 mm |
11 mm |
1 mm |
Aren't they small? The microSD card is actually less than half the size of a standard SD card and only a single mm thick! It's amazing how compact these flash memory cards can get.
Today, we will be taking a look at the new Kingston microSD card. Due to its extremely small size, it's understandable why it only has a capacity of 256MB. But how will it perform, compared to "full-sized" memory cards? Read on and find out!
The Package
The Kingston 256MB microSD card came in a plastic retail package, which allows you to directly examine the card without opening up the package. If you flip over the package, you can read about the key features of the card in several languages.
) |
) |
Front |
Back |
The packaging certainly appears solid enough to withstand quite a lot of abuse. We especially love the fact that it's easy to open and it's reusable.
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Contents
Upon opening it up, you will find the microSD card, a microSD adaptor card and a hard plastic case.
There's also a cardboard insert, which actually serves as the manual.
Contents :
- One Kingston 256MB microSD card
- One Kingston microSD adaptor card
- One hard plastic case
- One manual
