The memory stick is a silicon medium that is designed for a wide range of audio and visual applications. On a single memory stick, a wide variety of digital content like photos, computer data, music and movie images can be stored. Copyright protection of contents and application specification are defined that enable a range of content and data to be held in a single medium. This allows to record, playback and exchange data with many other related products.

The memory stick is a new type of recording medium that offers the combination of the features of convenient shape, healthy structure, low power consumption etc. Since memory stick is a removable storage medium for a portable device, Sony digital cameras use memory sticks for storage image files. With a memory stick capable reader, a user can copy the picture from the camera to the computer. Memory sticks are used in digital music players, PDAs, cellular phones, portable play station and in other devices.

Originally, the memory sticks were approximately of the size and thickness of a stick of a chewing gum with capacity varying from 4 MB to 128 MB. Memory stick Select similar to 5.25 inches floppy disks has two separate 128 MB partition, which the user can switch between them using a switch on the card. The memory sticks include a copy protection mechanism, which allows writing programs, and are called programmable memory sticks. They are pink colored and are available in 8 MB and 16 MB versions.

Memory stick is a removable flash memory card format comprising memory stick PRO, Memory stick duo and even smaller memory stick micro (M2).

Memory Stick PRO: Memory stick PRO would be a long lasting solution to the space problem. Memory stick PROs has a higher transfer speed and maximum capacity of 32 GB.

Memory Stick Duo: Memory Stick Duo is marginally smaller than SD (Secure Digital) format and approximately two thirds the length of the standard form factor. Memory stick duos are available in the same variants as their larger ones and have a simple adaptor (often sold along with the Memory Stick Duo) thereby permitting the duo to be used in any device that can accept its larger cousins.

The normal and PRO versions of memory stick duo are also used with PSP. This, when inserted with memory stick slot, shows saved data, music pictures, videos and games.

Memory stick micro: The memory stick micro (M2) measures 15 x 12.5 x 1.2 mm ? roughly around the size of a finger nail ? with a theoretical limit of 32GB. Maximum transfer speed is 160 M bit per second. Like duo sticks, it comes with an adaptor to ensure compatibility with current PRO devices.

In 2006, Sony added the memory stick PRO ? HG, a high-speed variant of PRO, for high definition still and video cameras.