The history of computing suggests that some new technology will take over the market in the near future. Guessing which one will win the race is what makes fortunes in the stock market!

 

Flash Memory	Several different brands of removable storage cards, also called memory cards, are now available. These are solid-state devices (no moving parts) that read and write data electrically, instead of magnetically. Devices like digital cameras, digital camcorders, and cell phones may use CompactFlash, SmartMedia, or another flash memory card. Laptop computers use PCMCIA cards, another type of flash memory, as solid-state hard disks.
USB drive	This new type of flash memory storage device does not yet have a generally accepted name. Each company calls it something different, including  flash drive, flash pen,  thumb drive,  key drive, and mini-USB drive. All are small, about the size of your thumb or a large car key, and plug into a USB port on the computer. No drivers are needed for Windows XP, 2000, or Me. Plug it in and the computer reports a new hard drive! Such small flash drives can have storage capacities from 8 MB to 1 GB or more! Much better than a floppy disk! Some flash drives include password protection and the ability to run software right off the USB drive. So cool!
Removable hard drives	Several types of special drives that compress data are available. A regular external hard drive can be used for backup, too. The image at the right is of an external Zip drive with a disk sticking out.
Mass storage	Businesses with very large sets of data that need easy access use sets of cartridges with robot arms to pull out the right one on command.
Smart cards	A chip on the card itself tracks changes, like deducting purchases from the amount entered originally on the card. Smart cards are already used in Europe and at colleges instead of using a handful of coins at vending machines and at laundromats. Another use involves a new sensor technology which lets a smart card read your fingerprint right on the card. The digital image of the fingerprint is then transmitted to a database to compare it with the one on file for that card. You can prove you are really you!!
Optical cards	A chip on the card holds information like health records and auto repair records. They can hold more data than the smart cards since they don't need to do any processing.