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Digital photos piling up

The average U.S. household with a digital camera now has 994 digital photos stored, according to the Photo Marketing Association.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
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Stephen Shankland

The average U.S. household has almost 1,000 digital photos stored on CDs, DVDs, Web sites and hard drives, according to a Photo Marketing Association survey of digital camera owners in 2006 that was published Monday.

The total per household was 994 images, the association said--about three or four years' worth of pictures. CDs and DVDs were the most widely used storage method, with 632 images per household on average; hard drives were next at 626. Web sites housed 230 photos on average.

As archiving photos and such in digital form is increasing, storage companies are trying to entice customers to buy external drives and other backup products. Online services, often charging an annual subscription fee, also are a newer option for backup.