Are Photo Albums Going Digital?

Posted by Georgy | 12/23/2009

By Dean Fellows

It's not impossible that photo albums may soon be a thing of the past in the future thanks to digital photo frames. It seems unlikely that traditional photo frames will vanish anytime soon - they will always have a place - but, considering the extra options that digital frames offer, I could see the possibility of bulky photo albums falling out of use relatively quickly.

Digital photo frames are now a mainstream consumer product. They are no longer thought of as high technology gadgets and, considering the very high sales figures in 2008 (which show no sign of slowing in 2009 by the way), this type of frame is now a feature in many houses.

Whilst the technology is very interesting for many, the main selling point for most people is the added functionality which is offered by digital frames. Some features are essential of course - nobody wants a frame that doesn't have a sharp display and good color reproduction. Frame size will be very much a matter of personal choice. The most popular choice right now is either a 7" or 8" frame, which is a pretty good size for a sideboard or a desk and will suit most people. Larger frames are available - at a little extra - if you want them.

The main selling points that might convince users to opt for a digital frame instead of a conventional frame or photo album are the facts that electronic frames have the ability to store and display large quantities of photos and that there are no processing fees required as no physical copies need to be printed.

Electronic frames can store hundreds, even thousands, of snapshots on a variety of different electronic storage devices. Some frames have their own on-board memory, but those without this simply use cheap memory sticks or cards as the storage medium. Photos stored in this way can be automatically cycled through to show the stored images sequentially in a slide show, with different transitions between photos - or a single picture can be selected and displayed if the user wishes.

This ability to store many more photographs than even the largest traditional bound album is a major benefit. No more rooting around in the attic or searching through old shoe boxes looking for that photo you've just remembered about.

The electronic storage of the images is another plus point. It means that processing charges and printing fees can be avoided but that you can still put your photo collection on display, either for your own personal pleasure or for your friends, family and colleagues.

People will still have their "favourite" snapshots and will probably continue to print out paper copies of a select few of these in future. It seems unlikely that traditional photo frames will disappear completely. However, given the ease of electronic storage and the other advantages enjoyed by digital frames, it doesn't seem unreasonable to suppose that the days of traditional albums may very well be numbered.

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