Manufacturers Olympus and Fujifilm are finally deciding to phase out their line of xD flash memory cards after years of customer complaints, unacceptable compatibility issues and the onslaught of the more efficient SD memory card technology. There are even xD card readers that come with SD adapters, which is pretty much the manufacturers admitting xD’s shortcomings.

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.

Files Corrupted, Data Lost

One of the biggest issues customers have reported with the xD memory cards is their tendency to corrupt stored data. Considering these cards are used almost exclusively in digital cameras, losing irreplaceable memories to data corruption is an unforgivable offense. Corruption can occur for almost any reason: using low batteries or turning off the camera while processing or pushing unnecessary buttons while taking pictures.

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.

The manufacturers refuse to address this issue, choosing instead to continue releasing xD memory cards that do not utilize wear leveling technology. As a result, xD memory cards wear out before their SD equivalents.

Limited Memory And Speed

The xD memory card was initially released with 512 MB. These days, the manufacturers have increased this number to 2 GB, which, although it’s definitely a step up from the first number, it’s nowhere near what is necessary to store much of anything, particularly if a digital camera is used for recording video. The SD card, by comparison, is available in sizes up to 32 GB. The xD memory cards are also much slower than the competition.

Low Quality Meets High Prices

Most xD memory cards don’t hold much storage space, have more problems with data corruption, are slower than SD cards, and have short lives. Seeing as how they are inferior to the SD cards, it would make sense if they were also cheaper, but the 2 GB xD card is actually twice as expensive as a similarly sized SD card. In fact, there are some larger SD cards that are still cheaper than that 2 GB xD memory card.

Last Thoughts: xD Memory Cards Cost Too Much For Too Little

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.

Smart media cards or an Olympus xD memory card will give you the space you need to enjoy the electronic gadgets of your choosing. Do you want to try one today? Only purchase memory cards from trusted online vendors for the most up-to-date products.

Technorati Tags: consumers, Digital Camera, Digital Cameras, digital equipment, digital memory, digital memory cards, digital storage, electronics, entertainment, family, home, memory cards, product reviews, shopping, technology

Tags: consumers, Digital Camera, Digital Cameras, digital equipment, digital memory, digital memory cards, digital storage, electronics, entertainment, family, home, memory cards, product reviews, shopping, technology

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