Flash Memory: It’s not Just for
Your Digital Camera
Contributed by Jay Schroyer
It seems that the smaller that storage media for electronic data gets physically, the more data they can hold. This is especially true with the flash memory card that you’ll find in use in just about any digital camera that you buy nowadays.
Available in sizes as small as 2 megabytes and as large as 2 gigabytes, the flash memory card quickly replaced standard floppy disks (with a 1.44 megabyte capacity) due to their efficiency of size and ability to store up to thirteen-hundred times more information than their predecessors.
If you learn anything about digital photography, you’ll find that these flash memory cards are not just exclusively used in your camera. Although in different forms, they are also found in your computer, laptop, and video game systems.
Flash memory cards are a solid-state form of media because they have no moving parts whatsoever. A bit larger than a fifty-cent piece, these cards are nothing more than a thin (about 1 mm) plastic card with an electrode and bonding wires attached. Unlike a 3-1/2 inch floppy, these cards are silent when in use, faster, lighter, smaller, and less likely to suffer physical damage that would render them inoperable.
Just like any disk drive, data can be both written and erased from the drive and can be in any type of format (graphic, text, even programs).
Whenever they are installed in your digital camera, the photos you take are saved to this disk. Generally, you remove them from the disk and onto your computer by connecting to a USB port through the camera itself or by placing the flash memory card into a card reader.
It is this card reader that will allow you to use your flash memory card for more than just pictures.
If you don’t have a card reader, they are relatively inexpensive (I’ve seen them online for as little as $10) and they install quickly with very basic computer instructions through a USB port on your computer. Once the card reader is installed, you can begin using your card just like you would any other disk drive on your computer.
Open up the “My Computer” option on your computer and you’ll see the flash memory card listed as an available disk drive. Depending on how many drives you already have installed or connected to your computer, it will probably be called drive E:/ or F:/. From there, it’s as simple as dragging your files over the drive icon and the computer will begin writing the data directly and silently to the flash card.
If there is information on the card that you don’t want anymore, simply double-click on the drives icon to open up a new window and the cards contents will be revealed. Choose the files you want to delete and hit “Delete.” Just like any other disk drive, the files will be removed leaving your flash memory card available to hold new data.
Now that you have your flash memory card attached to your computer and accessible for data transfer, here are a few usage suggestions:
- Portable files: If you have a file that you need to take to a printer or copy house, you can write the file directly to the drive and take it with you. It’s also good for sharing files with others as long as they have a card reader. As long as you protect the contacts and electrodes, the card is so small, thin, and lightweight that you could fit it in your wallet. And since they can hold any type of media, you can share photos, documents, and even music files.
- Backup: You could use the flash card to exclusively backup your most important files. It will be easy to remember and differentiate the flash card from your other removable storage media that way you can access and protect your most important files in a flash.
- Software: Got a small program that you don’t want to install on your computer, but access periodically? You can actually run programs directly from the flash card just like you would your regular hard drive. This is especially handy for free programs that you may download from the Internet. Instead of installing the program to your C:/ drive, have your computer save it to the flash memory then you can run it directly from this drive whenever you want access to it.
- Instructions: You could easily write up a set of instructions on how to use a particularly complex item (like a digital camera or even a building project) and load it with interactive demonstrations and research. Normally, things like this would take up a lot of space: stacks of printed material and diagrams, maybe even a video tape featuring a demonstration, but now you can save it all to a tiny, 1mm thick card and mail it across the country for the cost of sending a letter.
This is just a tiny sampling of all the things that you can do with your flash memory card. Your imagination is really the limit. What a great way to recycle an item that you may have outgrown with your prodigious picture taking.
About the Author:
Jay Schroyer has worked in the client and customer service end of business for over five years in retail, advertising, and printing. He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English writing and communication.
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