Memory cards are out of favour with domestic users

Once a product has become established within a particular market it becomes increasingly difficult to introduce alternatives. It is not only a costly process to develop the product and put it into production, something that is especially true within the technological sector, but launching it and achieving a level of awareness that will allow it to make its way into mainstream use is also phenomenally expensive. However, the fact that commercial and home computer use has practically reached full market saturation means that costs of research and development, as well as advertising and publicity can be spread across the entire potential user base where the launch of computer consumables are concerned. The scale of the market has therefore played a significant role in reducing the cost of computer equipment. Nevertheless, if there wasn't such fierce competition for market share within the computer market it is less likely that we would see technological advancements occurring quite as quickly as they do. The fact that there are many key producers in this field means that they are constantly developing products to try and garner a firmer grip of the market, especially since a strong brand consciousness allows for greater ease when it comes to sector domination. Apple Corp are a good example of this. The strength of their computer and consumables presence within the technological marketplace has allowed them to launch the iPhone with unparalleled success. Strong branding of quality products means that new products are automatically trusted, but that's not all. It also means that past successes have enabled companies such as Apple to generate the necessary funds to develop and launch more quality products in their wake. It's an upward spiral!

When a product like the Apple Smartphone is released branding is key. The iPhone does pretty much what other Smartphones do, making the branding of the product the most differentiating facet of the gadget. Without the Apple tag, it is fair to assume that the iPhone would have not been quite the runnaway success that it has been, especially if it had been released by another relative newcomer to the mobile phone market, such as the Indian firm

The same is not true of the portable storage market, however. Ease of use is the most critical factor governing the way in which this market is being shaped. Branding is playing second fiddle to consumer demand, instead of playing an essential role in dictating it. Memory cards used to dominate the portable storage markets until USB sticks started denting their market share. Home users have really taken to the new format, and have run with it in a big way. Such exponential usage has provided manufacturers with a greater confidence in investing in the product, prompting rapid development. This has meant that within a comparatively short space of time the cost of USB memory sticks have plummeted, whilst their capability has vastly increased.