From...

by Howard Millman

(IDG) -- Looking to extend the storage capacity of your laptop computer, digital camera or personal digital assistant? Instead of a logical and limited selection of removable and portable storage products, prepare yourself to pick through a confusing array of conflicting products and vendors' promises.

As a mere mortal who's trying to get some work done without becoming an expert in removable storage options, you will need to sort through a dizzying -- and mostly incompatible -- array of devices and standards. You have the option of acquiring solid-state devices, such as Lexar Media's CompactFlash (CF), Peripheral Enhancements' SmartMedia (SM) and Sony's Memory Stick. Or you can opt for diminutive products like Iomega's 40M-byte credit-card-size Clik drive and IBM's 2-sq.-in. 340M-byte microdrive. All can be used to store various forms of data such as text and graphics and music.

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Gerry Purdy, an analyst at Mobile Insights Inc., recommends basing your extended storage purchasing decisions on the type of data to be stored. "CompactFlash will become the standard for storing images in digital cameras and data in handheld devices," Purdy says, "whereas (IBM and Iomega) drives are really designated for corporate markets. To back up smaller amounts of information or to exchange it with a co-worker, Iomega's Clik is ideal. For mission-critical data backups and exchanges in a corporation, I think the IBM drive will prevail."

IBM positions its $500 microdrive as a peripheral for use in top-of-the-line, high-resolution digital cameras. Currently, the only retail sources for the 340M-byte drives are camera stores.

Aside from capacity levels, there are other differences between Clik and IBM's microdrive. For example, the $200 Clik offers 40M-byte replacement disks that cost about $10 each. Using one-third of the $300 price differential to purchase 10 Clik disks eliminates the capacity gap between Clik and the microdrive. On the other hand, one IBM microdrive holds nine times as much data as a Clik drive -- a convenience and a time-saver when backing up a data-laden laptop.

CompactFlash and SmartMedia, the two most popular solid-state memory types, further complicate the purchasing decision. The primary appeal of these featherweight and ultracompact devices is the elimination of moving parts and the likelihood they will last longer than other products, especially in rough service.

The major differences between these two memory types are capacity and size. CompactFlash's maximum capacity is 160M bytes; SmartMedia's is 32M bytes. Both are about the size of an oversize postage stamp (1- by 1.25-in.), but CF is about three times thicker than the ultrathin SM card. CF generally costs slightly less per megabyte -- about $3.50 vs. $4, with street prices about 20% less. Unlike the earlier forms of solid-state memory that required batteries, the data stored in CF and SM modules will stay intact for years with refreshing.

CF is the market leader, but that could change depending on Sony's success persuading other manufacturers to adopt its slick, but proprietary, Memory Stick. About the size and shape of a stick of gum, Memory Stick is available in 8M-, 16M- and 32M-byte models. A 64M-byte model is due next month, and a 256M-byte model is planned.

Designed for use with both PCs and a variety of cameras and recorders, the Memory Stick's tiny size makes it as easy to use and carry as CF and SM. When used as a distribution method for copyrighted music, the sticks employ an authentication technology to protect the contents against illegal duplication.

Regardless of what you choose, it may become outdated. "In the future, all handheld digital devices will link to local or Internet servers," says Phil Redman, an analyst at The Yankee Group in Boston.

Clik
Iomega Corp.
www.iomega.com/clik
40M bytes
$199
Additional removable disks, $10 each
Benefits: Unlimited storage using removable disks
Limitations: Limited storage per disk

CompactFlash
Lexar Media Inc.
www.lexarmedia.com.
80M bytes
$299
Benefits: No moving parts, shock-resistant
Limitations: High cost per megabyte

Microdrive
IBM
www.storage.com
340M bytes
$499.95
Benefits: Large capacity, lowest cost per megabyte
Limitations: Not expandable, high initial cost

SmartMedia
Peripheral Enhancements Corp.
www.peripheral.com
32M bytes
$125
Benefits: No moving parts, shock-resistant
Limitations: Limited storage capacity, high cost per megabyte

Memory Stick
Sony Electronics Inc.
www.sony.com
64M bytes
$190
Benefits: Small solid-state form factor, slightly lower cost per megabyte than CF and SM
Limitations: Proprietary