The 8 GB SDHC card will come bundled with a SanDisk MicroMate USB 2.0 reader at no extra charge. SDHC cards require an SDHC-compatible reader, so providing the MicroMate reader with the card ensures that users will be able to connect the card to their computers. The MicroMate reader also works with standard SD cards.
"As consumers add more digital entertainment and memories to their lives—especially when they start shooting video with a digital still camera or digital camcorder—they need more storage capacity in flash memory cards," said Susan Park, retail product marketing manager at SanDisk. "The new 8GB SDHC delivers twice the capacity of what was previously our biggest SD card—the 4GB SDHC—introduced just eight months ago."
SDHC is the new designation for cards in any SD format larger than 2 GB that adhere to the new SD 2.0 specification. Previous specifications for SD cards limited capacity to 2 GB, while SDHC supports capacities up to 32 GB. The specification was developed by the SD Association, an industry standards organization, which also defined three classes for speed and performance capabilities. The 8GB SDHC card adheres to the SD Speed Class 2 rating, which guarantees a minimum data-transfer rate of 2MB/second. SDHC cards are not backwards compatible—they will only work in devices with SDHC card slots.
"More than 30 digital still cameras and digital camcorders from Canon, Casio, Nikon, Panasonic, Pentax and Sanyo are already SDHC-compatible. We expect that SDHC will soon spread to digital music players, mobile phones and other personal electronics, making the 8GB SDHC card a versatile tool for moving around lots of photos, music and video", said Wes Brewer, SanDisk's vice president for consumer products marketing.
The 8GB SDHC card with MicroMate USB 2.0 reader will be available in April in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The bundle will be available in Japan and elsewhere in Asia later in the second quarter.
In the United States, the bundle will carry a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $189.99.
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