A memory card or flash memory card is a solidstate electronic flash memory data storage device used with digital cameras, handheld and Mobile computers, telephones, music players, video game consoles, and other electronics. They offer high rerecordability, powerfree storage, small form factor, and rugged environmental specifications. There are also nonsolidstate memory cards that do not use flash memory, and there are different types of flash memory. There are many different types of memory cards and jobs they are used for. Some common places include in digital cameras, in game consoles, in cell phones, and in industrial applications. PC card PCMCIA were among first commercial memory card formats type I cards to come out in the s, but are now only mainly used in industrial applications and for IO jobs using types IIIIII, as a connection standard for devices such as a modem. Also in s, a number of memory card formats smaller than PC Card came out, including CompactFlash, SmartMedia, and Miniature Card.

In other areas, tiny embedded memory cards SID were used in cell phones, game consoles started using proprietary memory card formats, and devices like PDAs and digital music players started using removable memory cards.

With this method, your camera must be turned on, so importing pictures will use up some battery power. Youll also need to keep the cable handy if you import pictures regularly. Use a memory card reader. The fastest way to import pictures is to use a memory card reader that you purchase separately. Remove the memory card from your camera, slide it into the card reader, and then plug the card reader into your computers USB port. Once youre plugged in to the USB port, a window will appear that asks what action you would like to do. You can open a folder or copy pictures and a few other options.

Choose the one you want and the rest will be easy. When I go on vacation, I just make sure I have the camera memory card emptied out before I go. Memory cards have really dropped in price in the past year. Memory cards arent all that bulky, so carrying a spare wasnt a pain. In addition to the extra memory, make sure your batteries are fully charged, and carry along a spare set.

Nothing sux more than wanting to take a picture but having dead batteries and no spares. Carry along a charger too if you have the spare room in your luggage and want to carry the extra weight.

And having to go out of your way to buy batteries on vacation is a wast of time in any case. Ive never had a laptop stolen or broken when dropped on travel.

Your photos are visual memories. You need to do everything you can to preserve and safeguard them. Verify that the burns are good. Store one CD as a working copy for access. Keep the other CD in a cool, dark place to minimize deterioration. Your memories are no place to get cheap. This way, you have a set on CD, a backup on CD, and finally, a backup on an external hard drive. Memory cards have gotten cheap enough that you might also consider simply buying a new memory card for your next set of photos. They are good for sharing. Mart is the cheapest and most effective way to print the photos, usually at 15 to 19 cents a print. Burning a CD is okay, but I find it easier to just use the memory card than to burn a CD and take it to the store. Well this question is really hard to answer.

It really depends on what you plan on doing with your camera. Obviously, if you are planning on selling your prints or working as a professional you will want a very high megapixel camera. Beware though more megapixels means that the image takes up more space on your memory card. For example if you have a 5 megapixel camera a 1 Gigabyte card will hold approximately 400 images. If you step up to a 6 megapixel look at about 320 images. 11 x 14, you will immediately see changes. For a normal person not a professional, I recommend cameras made by Nikon, Cannon, Olympus, Minolta, Fuji, Kodak. They give crystal clear shots, and are mostly easy to function. Sony is okay too, but they tend to be on the pricey side and very hard to operate. NOT recommend Samsung, Concord, Polaroid, or Vivitar. They produce horrible picture quality, and I have had many unsatisfied customers. You will need something with an optical zoom, because a digital zoom crops your picture making it grainy or fuzzy.

Most point and shoots are 3x optical and the bigger models range from 4x optical up to 12x or more. There is also the debate about memory cards. Most point and shoots from Cannon, Nikon, Kodak, and Polaroid take these types of cards. The high speed cards read and write a lot faster than the basic cards, so look online for your best deals. Batteries are another important consideration. AA batteries are easy to find and you can get rechargeable ones. The camera will then prepare the memory card exactly how the camera wants the information to be stored. It was quite a problem when customers would have a few different cameras. You may find problems, however, if you use the card in different devices or format it incorrectly in a card reader.

Ive purposely done this just to see what happens, and it just doesnt work right.