Sony today published final details of its new high capacity version of its Memory Stick format first previewed at CES. Now known as Memory Stick XC, the format borrows much of its advancements from SDXC and switches to the newer exFAT file system to provide as much as 2TB of storage once flash memory advances. Full-speed XC-HG Duo and XC-HG Micro cards will also theoretically transfer up to the maximum 480Mbps (60MB per second) of USB 2.0 and should transfer at a minimum of 5MB per second even in the slowest environments.
Regular, non-HG versions of the Duo and Micro cards will transfer at a minimum 1.9MB per second and peak at 20MB per second.
The new standard uses the same basic slot as existing Memory Sticks and should therefore support the older cards Companies can already start licensing any of the Memory Stick XC formats for their own cards starting today. Neither Sony nor other companies interested in the format, such as SanDisk, have said when they expect cards and supporting devices to appear. Sony is the most likely to use Memory Stick for cameras and other portable devices.
Source: electronista
