SanDisk has been toying with the idea of Write-Once memory cards for cameras. The idea being that the memory card takes a lifetime to degrade, in theory, whereas DVDs and CDs break down in sunlight and heat. Also, if they are cheap enough, why not.
The apparent target price is $5.99 per 1GB memory card, which is not great if you ask me. I just bought a spindle of 100 DVDs for 30 bucks. I could store 4 full memory cards on one DVD plus a few extra photos if i wanted, for a mere 30 cents. Burn an extra DVD for dark archive storage and your only up to 60 cents (less if you shop around better than just running to target...) Of course you have to account for the original memory card cost, but that quickly becomes irrelevant after a few uses. Don't have a DVD burner? Use flickr or picassa, free or almost free. Don't have internet? um... er... a cheap DVD burner will be the better financial choice probably, though you really need to get onto the tubes.
Also, if you have a Write-Once card, what happens when you take a photo you regret taking? Hopefully there is at least a "destroy photo" ability without having to stick the whole card in the microwave. Additionally, single use cards would start to make people a little more conservative with the photos they take, since currently you can just go totally willy nilly with your shooting, and pick out the good ones later. But with a write-once card, you would be back to the original problem with plain old photographic film, which is that mistakes cost money. 7mp photos will cost about 2 cents per mistake. A re-writable card costs zero when you make a mistake.
I would like to hear the advantages, since I am not seeing it. Lots of people think this is a great idea, I just don't understand why.
Engadget
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