Compact Flash Cards

What Is A Compact Flash Card?
A compact flash memory card is a solid state disk card with a 50-pin connector.  The pins provide a connection between the memory and the compact flash drive.  Compact flash cards are used like a hard drive.  They are designed with flash technology, a non-volatile storage solution that does not lose its information once power is removed from the card.

Compact flash cards contain no moving parts and are extremely rugged, providing much greater protection of data than conventional disk drives.  These flash cards are commonly used in portable applications such as digital cameras, digital music players, and personal digital assistants.  When buying a compact flash card, be sure it is the type of memory card your device takes. 

Compact Flash Card History
Compact flash memory cards were introduced in 1994, and have continued to become more and more prevalent.  They are indeed compact--smaller than a standard matchbook--yet they have a very large memory capacity.  Compact flash cards are very efficient storage in miniature and portable devices such as digital-cameras and personal organizers, which has helped their popularity.

Some compact flash cards can be plugged directly into a computer's card slot.  Another way to use these cards is with a compact flash card reader.  These readers plug into your computer's USB port.  With the flash memory card inserted, the device works much like a pen drive.