Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo posts
Beating Sony to the punch is SanDisk's new 8GB Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo card. The "Extreme III Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo" touts the most convoluted name in portable flash storage as well as 3x the performance -- 30MBps read and write -- of standard Memory Stick Pro Duo cards. As such, they are perfect for high performance DSLRs and camcorders. Available worldwide in June for $150.
Sony first announced its speedy new Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo cards all the way back in December, but it's now finally gotten a bit more specific about them, including providing the all important details on pricing and availability. Set to be available in 1GB, 2GB, and 4GB capacities, the cards boast a new 8-bit parallel interface that Sony says translates to a 30MB/sec transfer rate, which makes 'em about three times faster than the standard Memory Stick Pro. To take advantage of all that speed, Sony's also providing an ExpressCard adapter for the new Memory Sticks, although they will still be compatible with standard 4-bit parallel interface hardware, albeit at a significantly reduced speed. While there doesn't appear to be any word on how much the adapter will cost, you can look for the cards themselves to set up back $60, $90, and $150 for the 1, 2, and 4GB variations, respectively, with all three available in August.
