For some reason, this plan by SanDisk to sucker unsophisticated users into spending way too much to store their digital photographs, really gets under my skin. This gets me so angry, in fact, I’m tempted to stop buying SanDisk products.
Basically, SanDisk is going to push small flash memory cards in the 32-64 megabyte range as “Shoot & Store” cards. This is how SanDisk describes their Shoot & Store products,
SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced a new line of inexpensive flash memory cards designed to allow users to save their pictures indefinitely without using a computer for downloading, thus giving millions of consumers a major incentive to switch from film to digital photography and providing them with a durable, permanent way to store a lifetime of images. With an initial suggested retail price of $14.99 each-a breakthrough in the industry-the Shoot & Store™ cards are expected to allow people to order prints on a “cost-of-use” basis that is equal to or less than that of traditional analog film. And they won’t have to worry about leaving expensive flash memory cards with retail photo finishers.
. . .
SanDisk officials believe that the Shoot & Store line will create profound changes in the way people think about taking pictures by removing the last barriers to the mass acceptance of digital photography. With its ease-of-use concept, Shoot & Store is intended to convince large numbers of consumers-especially those who have been hesitant to join the digital revolution-that now is the time to buy a digital camera. For the first time, SanDisk believes that it is both economical and efficient to use the same card for capturing and storing digital “negatives.” This solves one of the most vexing problems of digital photography and allows people without computer skills-or without the time to download their images-to use a digital camera.
So rather than storing your photos on a CD-R — or having your local photoshop transfer the photos to CD-R — consumers should load up on $15/apeice 16mb memory cards? Are these people high? Do they think their customers are?
That, and billing 32mb cards as “50 pictures” on the assumption that everyone who buys these will be using 1mb digital cameras is equally outrageous. If they used some sort of system like 50/30/22 or something for 1/2/3 megapixel cameras I would find that defensible, but slapping 50 pictures on there borders on deceptive, IMO, given how prevalent 2-3 megapixel cameras are these days. It’d be like selling 50 miles worth of gasoline to an SUV owner but basing that figure on the mileage that a Prius gets.
Finally, it would seem the possibility of damaging SanDisk’s brand would outweigh any short-term profits from this scam . . . I mean scheme. If I was a customer who spent a couple hundred bucks on a bunch of “50 picture” flash memory cards only to find that for about 1/10th of that the photos could have been stored on CD-R, I know I wouldn’t exactly have good feelings about SanDisk.
Source:
SanDisk Shoot & Store cards. Press Release, SanDisk, February 11, 2004.