Bigger and/or Better Memory Sticks

SanDisk will be releasing a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo -- the biggest PSP-compatible memory stick yet. Apparently, this will allow the storage of over 60 hours of music, 20 hours of video, 12 hours of game saves, or 4,000 images on the same card. The 4GB stick will be part of SanDisk's Gaming line of memory sticks. Manufacturer's suggested retail price for the 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo is $219.99 USD. It's due out later this month.

SanDisk is also coming out with a new line of gaming memory sticks: the RapidGX Memory Stick Pro Duo. This stick is a high-performance storage device, designed to speed up the trasfer of files from the user's computer to the memory stick by almost three times. The RapidGX Memory Stick Pro Duo will come with software for converting an assortment of multimedia file types to PSP-readable formats and transferring them from the PC to the memory stick (I haven't heard if the software will be PC-only, or if there will also be a Macintosh version).

At least for its initial release, the RapidGX Memory Stick Pro Duo will also come with the MicroMate reader that increases the transfer speed to about twice what it would be with the PSP connected directly to the computer. The MicroMate connects to the computer via a USB cable. MSRP for the 1 GB RapidGX Memory Stick Pro Duo is $84.99 USD. (Info via SanDisk and PSPworld.)