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From: miller@cogsci.ucsd.EDU (Jeff Miller)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware
Subject: Is it possible to buy cheap RM devices to use with WORMs?
Keywords: WORM,CD-ROM
Message-ID: <379@cogsci.ucsd.EDU>
Date: 23 Jun 91 06:49:29 GMT
Article-I.D.: cogsci.379
Organization: University of California, San Diego
Lines: 39


Hope this is the right newsgroup.

I had an idea for a product I'd like to buy, but haven't seen it
advertised, or even any trade news that someone is developing it.
Have I just missed it? Anyone else want it?  Any hardware developers
listening?

Scenario:  My colleagues and I use a few dozen IBM-compatible PCs,
all with access to a common network (though most use the network
only intermittently, because of RAM overhead).  Each of us generates
data (on the order of 1 Mb per day) that we would like to save
permanently (say, 10 years) and keep on line (or, at least, not too
far off line) for at least 3 years.

Desired Hardware:  The data volume seems to justify some WORM-like
technology, but it seems silly for each of us to pay for the WO part.
Ideally, we could buy one $4000 write-once device and put it somewhere
on the net, then each of us could buy a $500 Read-Many device for our
own machines.  Once a month or so, when my local hard disk filled
up, I could transfer files across the net to the WO device, and then
carry the media back and stick it in my local RM device.  To save
media costs, it would be ideal to be able to add onto a given
piece of media --- say writing a 400 Mb platter 40 Mb at a time.

I got the idea from CD ROMs, of course, since readers are now in the $500
range (Forget the software issue).  But my impression is that CD ROM
write-once devices are in the $50,000 range --- far too much for our
budgets.  WORMS are more reasonably priced, but still too much $$ to
put one on every machine, and I've never seen a read-only WORM reader.

If I've been clear about what I want (I hope), can anyone tell me
if anything like this exists or is under development?  Wouldn't
it appeal to a lot of people working in groups?

Thanks for listening.

Jeff Miller
jomiller@ucsd.edu