Solid State Drives
An SSD uses static RAM instead of magnetic platters to store data, as shown in Figure 1. SSDs are considered to be highly reliable because they have no moving parts.
Choose an SSD if your customer needs to do any of the following:
- Operate in extreme environments
- Use less power
- Produce less heat
- Reduce startup time
Media Readers
A media reader is a device that reads and writes to different types of media cards, for example, those found in a digital camera, smart phone, or MP3 player. When replacing a media reader, ensure that it supports the type of cards used and the storage capacity of the cards to be read. There are several factors to consider when purchasing a new media reader:
- Internal or external
- Type of connector used
- Type of media cards supported
Choose the correct media reader based on your customer’s current and future needs. For example, if a customer needs to use multiple types of media cards, a multiple format media reader is needed. These are some common media cards, as shown in Figure 2:
- Secure digital (SD) - SD cards were designed for use in portable devices such as cameras, MP3 players, and tablets. SD cards can hold as much as 4 GB. SD High Capacity (SDHC) cards can hold as much as 32 GB, while SD Extended Capacity (SDXC) cards can hold as much as 2 TB of data.
- microSD - A much smaller version of SD, commonly used in cellular phones.
- CompactFlash - CompactFlash is an older format, but still in wide use because of its high capacity (up to 128 GB is common) and high speed. CompactFlash is often used as storage for video cameras.
- Memory Stick - A proprietary flash memory created by Sony Corporation. Memory Stick is used in cameras, MP3 players, hand-held video game systems, mobile phones, cameras, and other portable electronics.
Another type of media card is the Extreme Digital (xD or xD-Picture Card). xD cards were developed for use in many cameras and voice recorders, but have since become obsolete with the broad use of SD cards. xD cards have a maximum capacity of 2 GB.