Enlarging the memory volume we use in digital cameras is important not only for storing a larger amount of photos, but also for increasing their lifetime. This is due to the simple fact that these cards mainly fail because of the number of times they are taken out and replaced, an operation, which damages their contacts. Their lifetime is limited by the number of times they were taken out and replaced, more than anything. On the other hand, a large card is expensive and there is always fear that if we lose it, we will have to say goodbye to many pictures. So, like everything in life, we have to compromise. From my experience, if you are a “heavy” user, the optimal size would be a card that can store between 500 to 600 pictures.

There are currently three main types of card readers (there are more but they are insignificant): USB readers, IDE readers and FireWire readers. They are also priced in the same order, from low to high. For beginners, a USB connection to the camera or to a card reader is sufficient. For more advanced users, who are short of time, with 5-8Mp cameras and large files, the IDE reader is sufficient.
FireWire readers are recommended for DSLR owners. Lately, USB-2 readers appeared on the market, which are faster than the USB readers, but although on-paper they are supposed to be faster than FireWire readers (480 Mb/S versus 400 Mb/S), they are actually slower, depending on the reader and the hardware installed in the computer.