xD Picture Card
Developed by Fujifilm and Olympus, and manufactured by Toshiba Corporation, the xD-Picture Card is a high-capacity flash memory format for digital cameras. The xD-Picture Card is currently the smallest storage format of its kind on the market - comparable in size to a penny, measuring just 0.79" x 0.98" x 0.07" and weighing less than one-tenth of an ounce - with the potential for up to 8GB storage capacity in a single card. Currently though, the xD-Picture card is available in capacities up to 128MB, with a 256MB card planned to be available soon. This unprecedented combination of small size and large capacity will allow Fujifilm and other companies to manufacture sleeker and lighter digital cameras than ever before. Both Fujifilm and Olympus have begun to offer cameras compatible with the xD-Picture Card. In addition, the xD-Picture Card was designed to minimize power consumption, saving battery life and with fast read/write capabilities for smoother digital camera operation. PCMCIA and CompactFlash adapters are beginning to be available, allowing use of xD-Picture card in a variety of cameras and other devices from multiple manufacturers. The name "xD-Picture Card" was inspired by "eXtreme Digital", suggesting the excellence of this new memory media for recording, storing, and transporting audiovisual information.
