# Where are the FireWire Memory Sticks?



## chemistry_geek (Sep 6, 2004)

I have a SanDisk Cruiser Mini USB 256MB memory stick.  It's great, is quite useful, but not quite fast enough.  I want my data transfers to go much faster NOW.  Does anyone know if FireWire memory sticks are forthcoming?  These would be great.

Looking into getting one of those 1GB memory sticks, it would be great to mimic a portion of my user folder on one of these with only the essential information in my user directory.  Incidentally, does anyone know of any AppleScripts/shell scripts to synchronize folders between a user folder and a memory stick?


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Sep 6, 2004)

SanDisk makes a USB2 device that reads MemoryStick and MemoryStick PRO -- if your Macintosh is equipped with USB2.

Isn't the bottleneck with the cards, and not really the interface?  I mean, how fast is the MemoryStick?  From my experience with CompactFlash, it's pretty damn slow -- about 1.5MB/sec or so.


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## quiksan (Sep 6, 2004)

sort of a deviation from the topic, but Mark Cuban has a great article on his weblog about the usb memory sticks and how their size and cost will be the future of movies.  really interesting read.  read the article here 
In a way, seems like it would also make for a good case in having firewire flash drives.  But then again, usb 2.0 is supposed to be pretty fast if your computer is new enough to be similarly equipped.


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## ora (Sep 7, 2004)

quiksan said:
			
		

> But then again, usb 2.0 is supposed to be pretty fast if your computer is new enough to be similarly equipped.



Pretty sure my mem stick is USB2, which is technically faster than Firewire 400 anyway (480mbps vs 400mbps for firewire). Apparently USB2 is slower for sustained transfer rates, but given the relatively small size of memory sticks, i suspect this wouldn't matter. Now i just have to get that G5 so i have a usb2 port to use it with.


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## chemistry_geek (Sep 7, 2004)

My USB 256 MB memory stick is USB 2.0, but my G3 is not; that must be the limitation of USB on a Blue & White G3.  I was just thinking that FireWire would be so much better for memory sticks than USB due to higher sustained transfer rates.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Sep 7, 2004)

Hmm... I think we're confusing stuff here... when you guys say, "my memory stick is USB 2.0," you actually mean, "my memory stick *reader* is USB 2.0," right?


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## DeltaMac (Sep 7, 2004)

ElDiabloConCaca said:
			
		

> Hmm... I think we're confusing stuff here... when you guys say, "my memory stick is USB 2.0," you actually mean, "my memory stick *reader* is USB 2.0," right?



Yes, if you're referring to Sticks as used in cameras, etc.
But the SanDisk Cruzer Mini would be a USB flash drive. Referred to by many different names. Flash drive, key drive, jump drive, USB memory stick, pocket drives. I'm sure others have heard partial brand names or other generic names for these handy little gadgets. Many are labeled as USB 2.0 , and need an actual USB 2 port (with supporting software) to actually get the faster speed. Otherwise, they would operate at USB 1.1 speed, which is basically 1/40 the speed of USB 2.0

I have seen a couple of FireWire flash drives (Iogear, or somebody, I'm not sure) but they do exist.  You have to check the larger memory/storage web sites.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Sep 7, 2004)

Ah, I knew all that -- I was just confused, because early on I was forced to distinguish between all the different flash-based memory for a company I worked for... "Memory Stick" became ubiquitous with Sony, as all the different kinds of media (CompactFlash, CompactFlash II, Secure Digital cards, MMC, Smartmedia) soon became distinguished from each other.

At any rate, reading your first post, I went off searching for FireWire readers that read Sony's Memory Stick, as that's what your post was insinuating.  When you came back and referred to your Memory Stick as being USB 2.0 (as opposed to your Memory Stick *reader* as being USB 2.0), that really threw me off!  hehe...

Sorry for the misunderstanding.


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