flash memory

[Kratt]

how many read or write cycles do they last nowadays? since they are being used in PDAs as main memory and even for writing temporary files

[Decker]

Most new ones come with a 'lifetime' warrenty, probably means it'll last as long as the devices using it and until something else replaces them. 3-5 year lifespan with regular use would be a good guess, although I still have a compact flash card that's around 8 years old and still going strong with regular usage.