Digital cameras have been using a memory card system for storing photos for quite some time now. The cameras store photos as jpg files (or in another format, depending on the camera), and all that has to be done is to transfer the card's contents to your computer’s hard disk to be able to see a photo, edit it or print it out. At the time when digital cameras came onto the market, the only way to connect them to a computer was through a serial port, an extremely slow process. Currently, digital cameras can be connected to the computer’s USB port, providing a faster file transfer rate.