The Problems With xD Memory Cards

By Ava Jackson

After releasing the extreme Digital (xD) memory cards back in 2002, Olympus and Fujifilm have struggled to keep up with the advantages of the competition's flash memory card, the Secure Digital.

Technology has continued to evolve, and both companies are finally beginning to slow down on xD card production in favor of the widespread and infinitely more flexible SD format.

Incompatibility Trouble

SD cards have influenced the world over thanks to the fact that they are compatible with so many devices. For example, they are perfect for PDA's, camcorders, and digital cameras to name a few.

The xD, meanwhile, is exclusive to Fujifilm and Olympus digital cameras. Some SD cards can store up to 32 GB of space. The most an xD can handle is 2 GB, which is certainly not enough to power anything near what the SD can offer.

The xD cards also have some bad word of mouth due to their difficulties with compatibility with software and some accessories for cameras. A lot of trouble can come from this, as users who want a simple process will wind up mired in a drawn out mess.

Image Trouble

Digital cameras are meant to record our important life moments so we can relive them after the fact. The most troubling problem that xD card users have experienced is data corruption, and it's happened so often that more than likely every xD card owner will lose their data at least one time in their use, if not more.

Some of the more common activities that will trash your stuff include buttons being pushed in the middle of a camera load, for instance, or removing your card without first turning off your camera.

An SD card isn't an exception to data corruption, but it's mentioned far less often than the xD. Corruption can screw up any camera's output, but the xD's number of complaints is bordering on the legendary.

Difficult Pricing

One of the odd things about the xD is that, considering its corruption problems and compatibility issues, it is far more expensive than the bigger SD cards. You can pick up an Olympus 2 GB xD card from Amazon.com for $17.50, but the SD card of an identical size is only $8.49.

Many customers would change cameras just to capitalize on the price difference even if the xD wasn't as prone to corruption and had more compatibility.

The SD is actually older than the xD -- it originated in'99 -- but it has changed with the times by expanding its storage space and offering more and more compatibility for every type of device in the market today.

As long as SD continues to prosper, it's a no-brainer that Olympus and Fujifilm should forget about the xD and create something new for today's customers. - 29888

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