The Problems With xD Memory Cards
Posted by Paula Hill | Filed under Product Reviews
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.
Research in memory cards has advanced technology to the point that both manufacturers are phasing out their xD memory cards in favor of the more functional SD.
Incompatibility Trouble
The SD cards enjoy such success mainly because it is compatible in such a wide range of devices. These memory cards are used in everything from PDA’s to video games to camcorders, not to mention the ever popular digital cameras.
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.
On top of all this, the xD cards have garnered a bad reputation for compatibility issues with certain software and camera accessories. This can cause a lot of problems for some users, who end up with a drawn out mess instead of the simplicity promised by xD’s advertising.
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.
There is no end to the reasons for corruption — simply hitting buttons while the digital camera is in the middle of a task is enough to screw up images, or sliding out your card before turning off your camera.
Corruption hasn’t hit the SD card as hard as it has the xD. It can be a problem in any camera, but the possibility of a customer corrupting files while using an SD card seems to be less than the chances of those struggling to use their xD.
Difficult Pricing
Even though the xD is inferior to the SD in almost every respect, it is somehow much higher priced. Amazon.com lists a 2 GB Olympus xD card at $17.50, while the SD alternative of the same virtual size is $8.49.
The quality differences are so extreme that it is not surprising that more and more consumers are buying devices with SD memory card compatibility rather than the xD.
The SD card started up in’99, and it has continued to change with the times, offering more space and compatibility for any electronic device on the shelves whether they’re small or large.
Customers will choose SD cards instead of the xD, considering their differences, and Olympus and Fujifilm correctly see that the time has come to make something new.
Olympus and Fujifilm will keep supporting the xD memory cards for the time being. If you are looking for a new memory card, be sure to listen to good advise and purchase a xD memory card or brand new digital camera memory from a trustworthy website.
Tags: digital cameras, digital memory cards, Electronics, gadgets, photography, Product Reviews, shopping and product reviews, technology
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