Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!pprg.unm.edu!hc!ames!sgi!markb@denali
From: markb@denali
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: Re: UNIX optical drives?
Summary: Henry Spencer is right and then some.
Message-ID: <22529@sgi.SGI.COM>
Date: 28 Nov 88 22:23:48 GMT
References: <2384@datapg.MN.ORG> <10469@eddie.MIT.EDU> <12659@steinmetz.ge.com> <1988Nov25.182449.9686@utzoo.uucp>
Sender: daemon@sgi.SGI.COM
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA
Lines: 24

In article <1988Nov25.182449.9686@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
> In article <10469@eddie.MIT.EDU> nessus@mit-eddie.UUCP (Doug Alan) writes:
> > Perhaps it does make sense to ask the question, however, why buy a
> > WORM when cheap read/write optical disks are already here and will
> > soon be widely available?
> 
> Note that the two phrases "are already here" and "will soon be widely
> available" are contradictory from the viewpoint of real users.  The fact
> is, cheap read/write optical disks are not yet really here, so they
> are not a realistic possibility for someone who wants to buy something
> *now*.  
>                       they will not be a realistic possibility for at

This is true.  It is amazing that paper products are still taken as real
just because we would all like it to be true.  Sure, this stuff is running
in lots of labs, with varying degrees of success, but to have real, viable
product in reasonable volume takes time.

					markb

Mark Bradley				"Faster, faster, until the thrill of
IO Subsystems				 speed overcomes the fear of death."
Silicon Graphics Computer Systems
Mountain View, CA			     ---Hunter S. Thompson