[NTLK] Finite number of Flash RAM write cycles

[Michael 'Mickey' Sattler]

On Apr 12, 2011, at 03:22 , Aaron Brigati wrote:

> Not that it can't happen, but it's not likely.


It's comforting, but it's completely wrong. Of all the old-world flash ram cards I've used, from the first digital cameras to all my Newtons (from the OMP to the five 2100s), I've had 30% or so of the cards go bad over the 10-ish years I used them. At least two in out-of-the-way places that required some travel to find any source of digital foo in far-off lands.

While -- on paper -- the risk seems small, my real-world experiences leads me to expect that any particular card may go bad at the worst possible moment, and that having at least one spare card of the same flavor on hand is prudent. YMMV.

Mickey

--
Michael 'Mickey' Sattler - San Francisco - California - USA

Contact info at http://www.sattlers.org/mickey/contact/

I was born not knowing and have had only a little time to change that here and there. -- Richard Feynman (1918 - 1988)