Path: utzoo!censor!geac!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uunet!world!jon_sree From: jon_sree@world.std.com (Jon Sreekanth) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware Subject: Re: COMPUTER LASER DISK Message-ID: Date: 2 Jan 91 17:11:57 GMT References: <11639@j.cc.purdue.edu> Sender: jon_sree@world.std.com (Jon Sreekanth) Organization: The World Lines: 26 In-Reply-To: zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu's message of 1 Jan 91 14:30:54 GMT In article <11639@j.cc.purdue.edu> zhou@brazil.psych.purdue.edu (Albert Zhou) writes: I am aware of the existence of laser disk for microcomputer. Information can be read from it as well as written onto it. Only it cannot be rewritten. I I assume you're talking about a "WORM", Write Once Read Many. Capacities are 500 M Byte upwards. There are also true erasable optical drives. Look through Computer Shopper's index, there are about 4 advertisers listed in the Jan 91 issue. One of them, Trans International, 800-783-2120 or 714-634-1583, has a Ricoh erasable drive for $3000, 650 meg bytes, media is $300. A Toshiba 900 meg WORM is for $3100, media cost is not mentioned. (4) What about speed? Does it respond much faster than hard disk? Seek times are worse than hard disks by a factor of 10 or more. Data rates are probably lower (I'm not sure). They are good for on-line, archival storage, not replacements for hard disks, yet. / Jon Sreekanth Assabet Valley Microsystems Fax and PC products 346 Lincoln St #722, Marlboro, MA 01752 508-562-0722 jon_sree@world.std.com