Over the years since memory cards were introduced to the public, major changes have occurred and continue to occur. Many researchers are now working to bring the price of a memory stick even lower.  How is this being done? The answer is by incorporating more functions into a single chip. As a result, the cost to produce the card is less, as is packaging. A prime example is that just five years ago, the cost for a 256-megabyte memory card was around $150.  Today, you can purchase a four-gigabyte card for around $75!

Other developments on the horizon for memory cards include capacity. As mentioned, initial cards offered 256 megabytes. However, we now see the most popular option offering four gigabyte. In addition, some special types of USB memory cards are now being sold, which can store up to 64 gigabytes, perfect for storing things such as streaming video. Another change seen on the horizon is size. For instance, some manufacturers are working on the actual size of the memory card, making it thinner. Over time, we can expect to see more excitement in the world of data storage, specifically associated to memory cards.