Computer systems are all about the storage of data. We store all kinds of files and information on our computer systems, from digital photos to text documents to html documents to music files, video files, .pdfs, Word documents and more – and that's not even counting the software, applications and other programs we install and that also take up storage space on our systems. Many people simply save their data directly to their hard drives (also sometimes referred to as hard disks), but as technology becomes more and more prevalent in our daily lives, having all of your data tied to a stationary thing like a des
Enter flash memory. Flash memory is a type of electronic memory that is designed to be used for easy and fast information storage in computers, video game consoles, digital cameras, digital video cameras, and more. Flash memory is used in a way that is similar to a hard drive, rather than RAM (random access memory), but unlike a hard drive, flash memory is known as something called a “solid state” storage device. This means it has no moving parts, whereas the same can't be said of your computer system's hard drive which DOES contain moving parts. Everything in flash memory is electronic, not mechanical.
Flash memory is used for many different things. For example, your computer's BIOS uses flash memory. Digital cameras use a type of flash memory often called CompactFlash, though depending on the make and model of your particular camera, you may use a different type of flash memory, like Smart Media or a memory stick. PCMCIA Type 1 and PCMCIA Type 2 flash memory cards are often found in laptop computers, and video game consoles also use flash memory to run.
You may hear someone refer to “flash RAM,” but that is not the same thing as flash memory. Flash RAM cannot retain its data after the power supply to the device is cut off, whereas flash memory is a solid state device that does not lose its data when it is not powered on. As an example, car stereos use flash RAM to “remember” the pre set favorite radio stations you have programmed into it. Even when your car is turned off, though, the radio is sucking up a little bit of current in order to keep the data in the flash RAM preserved. You'll notice that if the wires to the stereo are disconnected, you lose your programmed stations. The same happens should your car battery die.
Many people prefer to use flash memory as much as possible instead of a hard drive for many reasons. First, flash memory devices are small and lightweight, perfect for traveling. You can save data from your home computer to your flash memory and then take it to work with you to open on your work computer very easily. Second, flash memory has no moving parts and is therefore not subject to wear and tear like a regular hard drive is. And finally, flash memory allows for faster access to your data than hard drives do. Each different type of flash memory is constructed a little differently – for example, some flash memory devices are thicker than others, some include controllers whereas others do not, and some can hold much more data than others can.
The type of flash memory you choose to go with will depend on what you need it for, so make sure to check the device you want the memory for very carefully to ensure you know what type of flash memory it will accept. Certain types of flash memory will fit in a wide variety of devices, though, so it's not impossible to be able to use the same flash memory card with your digital camera, your laptop computer and your video game console.
