Charlie “Charlie” Sorrel of Wired’s Gadget Lab does not review anything so mundane as flash memory cards. The packaging it comes in, however, is another matter.
A ridiculously elaborate and frankly huge set of interlocking parts which do nothing so much as take up valuable space in a shipping container. … SanDisk feels the need to pad the package so the buyer will have something substantial to fill his or her shopping bag. So, how bad is it? Using my computer’s handy on-screen ruler, I checked the dimensions….
And on he goes, uncovering worthless value-add within, such as a big complementary carrying case for a single compact flash card. Also, he introduces a new unit of measurement, the Standard International rubber dinosaur.
Recently I paid well over $200 dollars for a very fast very large Sandisk CF card. Dag nab it for that kind of money I expected and received grand packaging on a par with Apple’s iPhone.
This has got to piss off the people at a retailer’s corporate headquarters who are responsible for planning where things go in the store… most memory cards will hang on a rack, but these bastards need shelf space? And think of the consumer, who has to wander the store looking for them, only to discover them in two different places. what jerks. This is why Circuit City is bankrupt… (OK, not really)
#1: Yep. Overpackaging is usually an anti-shoplifting measure (make it too big to pocket), and is quite common. The alternative is something like the frames used to bulk up CDs… until the item becomes too cheap to be worth lifting.
This reminds me of the time I ordered an SD card and a micro-mouse (for my Eee) from Newegg. They used a 4X8X8 inch box (i think) to send the tiny mouse, and a separate padded envelope for the SD card.
He must be American. They’ll go to ridiculous lengths to avoid metric.
I remember, eons ago, that CDs used to be sold in long boxes filed with air in the top part. In fact, when I bought the White Album, a double CD that at the time was in two separate jewel cases, they were stacked side-by-side in a double-wide long box, filled with double air at the top.
The package also includes a CD, so that will dictate the minimum size of the package. And, they need room for the case.
The case is a waste, but still not a bad touch for a $70 memory card.
I have no idea why you need a CD. It should not need drivers. Maybe the CD contains a pdf of a manual. It really should not even need a manual, other than one page that says “stick it in and use it” and the warranty. They could also use a “mini” CD to save more space and plastic.
Amazon is apparently working with vendors now so that the huge blister packs, needed as others have said for in-store security, may be a thing of the past for online purchases.
@ snackcake
Work in retail much? Having the same product it two (or more) locations can increase overall sales. Using Target as an example, you’ll find memory cards at the electronics counter, with storage media, perhaps on an endcap as part of some hinky promotion. and a few SKUs on checkout lanes. These last will be the highest price per meg, since it’s that last chance to separate the “guest” from his cash.
“Can I help you find something?”
This has to be more for security measures than anything else. Sandisk obviously wants their products to be on the shelf rather than behind the counter or in a locked case. And while it is wasteful a cardboard box is far better than a plactic clamshell designed by the devil.