High Prices And Quality Limits Kill xD Memory Cards

Fujifilm and Olympus produced their xD memory cards (extreme Digital) in 2002 and have since tried to keep up with their competitor, the Secure Digital (SD) memory cards.

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.

Difficulty With Compatibility

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 is only good with Fujifilm and Olympus digital cameras — a huge limitation. SD cards are available today at your local electronics store that can hold 32 GB of space. An xD maxes out at only 2 GB, which would be far too limiting to work effectively with other devices anyway.

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.

Issues With Corruption

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.

The SD card, while not immune to corruption, is not mentioned as often as the xD. Corruption can be a difficulty faced with any camera, but there are many more instances of xD cards experiencing corruption than its SD alternative.

Pricey Product

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 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 continue to support the xD memory cards for the time being. If you are looking for a realiable memory card, be sure to trust the experts and pick up an xD memory card or brand new digital camera memory from a trustworthy website.