I am burning images on cd and dvd at home using a Sony DWU18A.  I have
some CDs that were burned 2-3 years ago using a different writer.  How
long will CD and/or DVD last when burned using consumer writers on the
typical home computer system?  Do CD/DVD have a storage life after
writing to them?  Is it better to writer at a slower speed, (instead
of 40x at 8x)?
Thank you
Bruce

Here my an answer to a question which is quite similar to this one.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=551841

Here is my answer to a similar question.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=262528

You might review the information I provided in this answer as well.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=190423

I have CD-R discs written in 1999 that are still usable and have had
no problems.  These are brand name discs, I also have some off-brand
name ones that have had issues.  I always buy good brand CD-R discs. 
Storage should be in a cool, dark environment.  I haven't heard if
freezing the discs will make a difference, but it does with film,
which is a gelatin-based product.  CD-Rs are chemical-based, dye-based
items and when exposed to heat or direct sunlight, will degrade much
faster.  So playing that CD-R in your car stereo, which may get hot,
could wear out a disc faster than not.  A good idea too is to make a
backup copy and store it somewhere.  That way if your user copy wears
out, go to your backup copy and make a new user copy.

Storage of data and information in the digital age is a growing
problem.  I still feel that shooting film is more archival than
digital for this reason.  I also still buy real CDs rather than
downloading an album for this reason too.

Dave