How many shots on average does a CF last?

I've taken about 7,000 shots on 3 different cameras with a 512 MB CF Memory Card. Now it seems when I look at the pictures on the camera (aka Chimp) they start flashing red and blue on certain parts of the picture. Does this mean the card is corrupted?

Also how many on average do CF cards last?

Depending on the camera you have the flashing color most likely is indicating what areas of the picture is overexposed. You probably put your camera into a different viewing mode so now the overexposed areas flash.

If you are still able to retrieve all the pictures on that card you should be still fine using it.

Yeah, whenever I chimp shots and make all the info come up (histogram, etc.), the overexposed portions flash...it's quite annoying.

Nobody can tell you how many shots you can take on a CF or other memory card.
It can work one day or 100 years and take one picture or one million pictures.
Most likely you will have more problems with the connectors during inserting and trowing the card out.

On average they last a couple thousand years or so... sometimes they get corrupt when an alpha particle from the cosmos hits the semiconductor.

Ha ha nice answer

Or the doomaflotchit gets corrupted from the unauthorized use of the spivit gear when opening the floogle file. This usually happens when doing a depth of field adjustment in the house at night. These should always be done in daylight in the field at rest.

If you are really worried about the life expectancy of your CF cards, next time buy one with a life-time warranty like SanDisk's Ultra II cards, etc.

No; as stated, they can last a day, or a very long time. it's russian roulette.

Flash memory has a finite amount of write cycle available. Around 10000 *max* per cell. Manufacturer calculate "life expectancy" by multiplying the number of cell by 10000. So they reach the "hundred years" bull****.
Thats a scam; minimum life expectancy is still 10000 statisticaly. Modern cards do alternate the write cycles on "unused" cells, and even sometime have "spare" cells to remap the one that are gone.

But the fact is that flash memory is very fragile, and wears when you use it. So stop believing the marketting b/s

Is flash memory similar to a Diskette with that blackish borwn plastic?
Or is it more similar to a Ninetendo 64 (or Super NES) type saving method which is pure digital? Anyone know?

a diskette is magnetic storage...the little floppy round disk part stores different bits of magnetic charge .. If you put a floppy by a large ..large magnet i believe they can become corupt.

flash memory means non-volatile ( nothings lost when the power is turned off)
and is stored on a memory chip(s).. not magnetic or optical.
trying my hardest to explain..
magnetic storage stores 1's and 0's bits in magnetic form
optical its burned with lasers.
flash its just on the memory chip

hopefully thats useful maybe someone else can pitch in for the flash part..

nintendo..early version of flash memory--just a guess though