It's been a long seven years for xD memory card customers, but Fujifilm and Olympus have finally decided to start phasing out this product, acquiescing to the power of the more efficient SD memory cards. As an example of how thoroughly whooped the xD memory cards have become, xD card readers are now being sold with SD adapters - that's the closest the manufacturers will ever come to admitting defeat.
Irritated customers all over the country will say this has been a long time coming. The xD memory cards have caused a lot of people a lot of grief. Let's take a look at some of the most reported issues that consumers have had with their xD memory cards.
Corruption Issues And Data Loss
The main problem reported is that its digital cameras have ended up with corrupted data files. Losing irreplaceable memories this way is simply unacceptable. What's worse is that there's no one thing that you can do to prevent data corruption. Anything from pushing extra buttons while processing photos to turning off the camera while taking a picture to using low batteries can cause trouble.
The Very Short Life Of xD Memory Cards
Memory cards released today use "wear leveling," which is a special technology that tracks the number of blocks of memory on a card and thereby extends the lifespan of a memory card. As memory cards continue to become smaller and smaller, this technology will become more and more important.
Fujifilm and Olympus have not addressed this issue, and continue to release xD cards that do not take advantage of this new technology. This has prompted some very mixed reactions from customers as their xD cards inevitably wear out well before their SD counterparts.
Limited Memory And Speed
The xD memory card originally held 512 MB of storage space, which was maybe decent back in 2002 when it was first released. Today, Olympus and Fujifilm have expanded their card space to 2 GB, which might be better than before, but it certainly doesn't live up to the SD 32 GB cards available these days. To put this in perspective, most MP3 players offer more than 2 GB of space. To add insult to injury, xD memory cards are also much slower in data transfer than the competition.
High Prices Vs. Low Quality
The most surprising of the differences between the xD and the SD is the price. Considering the trouble that comes with the xD, and its lack of power, you'd think it would be the less expensive choice. Reality is quite different: a 2 GB xD card retails for almost $20, while a comparable SD card is half that price, and several larger cards are still cheaper than the xD's hefty price.
Final Thoughts: SD Memory Cards Are The Future
Today's economy dictates that consumers must buy what hurts the wallet the least. It's no surprise then that the xD is failing and Olympus and Fujifilm are starting to pull the product. If they are not going to make an effort to improve what they're selling, then there is no reason for customers to stay loyal or new customers to make an effort to find them. - 29888
Irritated customers all over the country will say this has been a long time coming. The xD memory cards have caused a lot of people a lot of grief. Let's take a look at some of the most reported issues that consumers have had with their xD memory cards.
Corruption Issues And Data Loss
The main problem reported is that its digital cameras have ended up with corrupted data files. Losing irreplaceable memories this way is simply unacceptable. What's worse is that there's no one thing that you can do to prevent data corruption. Anything from pushing extra buttons while processing photos to turning off the camera while taking a picture to using low batteries can cause trouble.
The Very Short Life Of xD Memory Cards
Memory cards released today use "wear leveling," which is a special technology that tracks the number of blocks of memory on a card and thereby extends the lifespan of a memory card. As memory cards continue to become smaller and smaller, this technology will become more and more important.
Fujifilm and Olympus have not addressed this issue, and continue to release xD cards that do not take advantage of this new technology. This has prompted some very mixed reactions from customers as their xD cards inevitably wear out well before their SD counterparts.
Limited Memory And Speed
The xD memory card originally held 512 MB of storage space, which was maybe decent back in 2002 when it was first released. Today, Olympus and Fujifilm have expanded their card space to 2 GB, which might be better than before, but it certainly doesn't live up to the SD 32 GB cards available these days. To put this in perspective, most MP3 players offer more than 2 GB of space. To add insult to injury, xD memory cards are also much slower in data transfer than the competition.
High Prices Vs. Low Quality
The most surprising of the differences between the xD and the SD is the price. Considering the trouble that comes with the xD, and its lack of power, you'd think it would be the less expensive choice. Reality is quite different: a 2 GB xD card retails for almost $20, while a comparable SD card is half that price, and several larger cards are still cheaper than the xD's hefty price.
Final Thoughts: SD Memory Cards Are The Future
Today's economy dictates that consumers must buy what hurts the wallet the least. It's no surprise then that the xD is failing and Olympus and Fujifilm are starting to pull the product. If they are not going to make an effort to improve what they're selling, then there is no reason for customers to stay loyal or new customers to make an effort to find them. - 29888
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Smart media cards or a Fujifilm xD memory card will provide enough storage space to have fun with the electronic devices of your choice. Why not pick one up today? Buy the memory cards you need from authentic xD or SD dealers for the best products at the right prices.
