| A Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card | | | | are lightweight, portable, easy to attach to a key ring |
| format that was developed and launched by Sony in | | | | or lanyard and these days they are available in a wide |
| late 1998. Memory Sticks are a proprietary design of | | | | range of memory sizes up to a whopping 64GB! They |
| Sony's and are commonly used as a storage medium | | | | also come in a wide range of styles, colours and |
| in Sony digital cameras, MP3 and MP4 players, | | | | shapes, which can all, be over printed, engraved or |
| hand-held consoles and video cameras. | | | | embossed with a logo. |
| Since their launch various "flavours" of the Memory | | | | If you've got data to save, store and transport then for |
| Stick have been introduced including the PRO, Duo, the | | | | the majority of people a USB flash drive is the |
| Micro and Pro-HD. These variants embrace higher | | | | preferred option. It's partly for this reason that they are |
| speed formats and smaller form factors but of late it | | | | now commonly used by companies as a promotional |
| is a format that has struggled to keep up with the | | | | product or a way of distributing data and information |
| demand and usage of SD cards in the market. Sony | | | | (e.g. at a seminar, conference or press event). |
| have now introduced their own version of the SD card | | | | A USB flash drive printed up with a company logo is a |
| which to some has signalled start of the end of the | | | | popular and sought after item with a high perceived |
| Memory Stick. | | | | value. Users of USB flash drives not only value them |
| Memory Sticks could theoretically have been used by | | | | but they use them on a regular basis and as such any |
| the promotions industry as a portable storage medium | | | | brand printed on them gets excellent exposure and |
| but "memory cards" have just not caught on like USB | | | | excellent and positive brand association. |
| Flash Drives. The primary reason is that these cards | | | | By pre-loading sales brochures, price lists, technical |
| are typically used "inside a device" and therefore any | | | | data sheets, media files and web links onto the |
| branding is not on display, equally, the shape and size | | | | memory sticks before they are distributed companies |
| of a Memory Stick does not lend itself to being carried | | | | can offset the cost of buying the USB flash drives |
| easily. | | | | against the print savings they make. |
| USB Memory sticks, also referred to, as USB Flash | | | | So when considering Memory Sticks as a promotional |
| Drives, USB Thumb Drives and USB Pen Drives have | | | | tool make sure it's a USB Memory Stick you seek |
| become the dominant medium for portable storage. | | | | quotes on. |
| Not only are they incredibly easy to use but also they | | | | |