Editing Memory Stick (section)

== History ==
The original Memory Stick, which was launched in October 1998, was available in capacities up to 128 MB.{{efn|reference=In this article the unit symbol 'MB' is used to mean 1000^2 bytes (1 [[megabyte]])}}

In October 1999, Sony licensed the technology to [[Fujitsu]], [[Aiwa]], [[Sanyo]], [[Sharp Corporation|Sharp]], [[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]] and [[Kenwood Corporation|Kenwood]], in a bid to avoid a repetition of the [[Betamax]] failure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dpreview.com/articles/3633126940/sonylic|title=Sony To License Memory Stick to 6 Firms|website=dpreview.com}}</ref> Other companies were also licensees to the format. Some early examples of Memory Stick usage by third-party companies include Sharp's MP3 players, [[Alpine Electronics|Alpine]]'s in-dash players, and [[Epson]]'s printers.<ref name="simmtester.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.simmtester.com/page/news/showpubnews.asp?num=64 |title=News-Latest publications from CST |website=www.simmtester.com |access-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010717104332/http://www.simmtester.com/page/news/showpubnews.asp?num=64 |archive-date=17 July 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Initially the format had a lukewarm reception, but it soon increased in popularity, especially after the licensing deal. In spring 2001, Memory Stick attained 25% market share (against [[CompactFlash]]'s 40% and [[SmartMedia]]'s 32%), up from 7% a year earlier. By May 2001, total shipment of Memory Stick units surpassed 10 million.<ref name="simmtester.com"/>

However the [[SD card]], jointly developed by [[Toshiba]], [[Panasonic]] and [[SanDisk]], became widely popular among companies and soon became the most popular flash format{{snd}} by November 2003 it held 42% market share in the United States, ahead of CompactFlash's 26% and Memory Stick with 16%.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/02/business/technology-memory-evolution-survival-of-the-smallest.html|title=TECHNOLOGY; Memory Evolution: Survival of the Smallest|first=Eric A.|last=Taub|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=February 2, 2004}}</ref> Eventually Sony itself became the only company to support the format. Sony was often criticized for the Memory Stick, as they were deemed to be expensive compared to other formats.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/special-report/2005/03/10/behind-the-smiles-at-sony|title=Behind the smiles at Sony|date=March 10, 2005|access-date=December 29, 2021|newspaper=[[The Economist]]}}</ref>

{{As of|2010|01}}, it appeared that Sony had begun to combine support for [[Secure Digital card|SD]]/[[Secure Digital High-Capacity|SDHC]] and Memory Stick formats in their products. All digital cameras and camcorders announced by Sony at the [[CES 2010|2010 Consumer Electronics Show]] could use [[Secure Digital card|SD]] and [[Secure Digital High-Capacity|SDHC]] cards as well as Memory Sticks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/digital_cameras/cyber-shot/release/55922.html |title=Sony.com |website=News.sel.sony.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717054240/https://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/digital_cameras/cyber-shot/release/55922.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/digital_cameras/cyber-shot/release/56053.html |title=Sony.com |website=News.sel.sony.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=April 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415030153/https://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/digital_cameras/cyber-shot/release/56053.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/camcorders/release/56198.html |title=Sony.com |website=News.sel.sony.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=January 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110200122/http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/camcorders/release/56198.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/camcorders/high_definition/release/56267.html |title=Sony.com |website=News.sel.sony.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=January 11, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111033705/http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/camcorders/high_definition/release/56267.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/camcorders/release/56305.html |title=Sony.com |website=News.sel.sony.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=January 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100110200129/http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/camcorders/release/56305.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Furthermore, Sony announced the release of its own line of SD cards.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/memory_stick/release/56274.html |title=Sony.com |website=News.sel.sony.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=January 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100109181751/http://news.sel.sony.com/en/press_room/consumer/digital_imaging/memory_stick/release/56274.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Many claimed this development as the end of the [[Format war#1990s|format war]] between Memory Stick and SD card. However, Sony did not abandon the format at this time, and indicated that it would continue development of the format for the foreseeable future. A prime example was the development of WiFi transfers through a special Memory Stick PRO-Duo which was still in development {{asof|2011|lc=true}}.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/07/sonys-memory-stick-bowing-to-reality/ | work=The New York Times | title=Sony's Memory Stick: Bowing to Reality | first=Eric A. | last=Taub | date=January 7, 2010 | access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Velocity |url=https://blogs.forbes.com/velocity/2010/01/07/betamaxed-sony-flushes-its-flash-card-down-the-memory-hole/ |title=Forbes.com |work=Forbes |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.ft.com/techblog/2010/01/beginning-of-the-end-for-memory-stick/ |title=FT.com |website=Blogs.ft.com |date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2010/01/06/live-from-sonys-ces-2010-press-event/ |title=Endgadget.com |website=Engadget.com |date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://spectrum.ieee.org/ces-2010-sony-finally-backs-down-on-memory-stick-technology |title=IEEE.org |website=[[IEEE]] |date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McCracken |first=Harry |url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/186178/is_it_the_end_of_the_road_for_memory_stick_hope_so.html/ |title=PCworld.com |website=PCworld.com |date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |archive-date=January 14, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114024300/http://www.pcworld.com/article/186178/is_it_the_end_of_the_road_for_memory_stick_hope_so.html/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://apcmag.com/sony-admits-defeat-on-memory-stick.htm |title=APCMAG.com |website=APCMAG.com |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref> 

Sony's first significant migration away from Memory Stick did not come until 2019, when it introduced the [[Sony α7R IV|α7R IV]] [[full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera]] without Memory Stick support, opting instead for dual [[SD card#SDXC|SDXC]] slots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dpreview.com/news/7747501993/sony-introduces-a7r-iv |title= Sony introduces the a7R IV with 61 Megapixel full-frame sensor |publisher=Digital Photography Review |date=July 16, 2019 |access-date=July 16, 2019}}</ref>