Data on CD lasts only two years

AN IBM BOFFINis warning that data stored on homemade CDs only lasts two years on average.

Herr Kurt Gerecke said that if you keep your disks in dark, cool places they might last for five if you are lucky.

Commercially pressed discs last a lot longer and part of this might be something to do with the fact that homemade CDs are cheap and nasty. Even then Gerecke told the Australian Age they will only do better by five years.

Punters who are looking at better storage of their favorite films and family snaps should not hope that the new wave of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray will be much better either.

Generally, it is still better to print out your pictures and stuff them in a cardboard box in the loft.

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