Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!faline!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!ll-xn!ames!sdcsvax!ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hplabs!hpcea!hpnmd!hpsrla!hpsrlc!darrylo
From: darrylo@hpsrlc.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: Unix in ROM [was Re: Jerry Pournelle on UNIX (From BYTE)]
Message-ID: <4530001@hpsrlc.HP.COM>
Date: 16 Jan 88 21:38:55 GMT
References: <9601@tekecs.TEK.COM>
Organization: HP Network Measurements Div - Santa Rosa, CA
Lines: 32
Posted: Sat Jan 16 16:38:55 1988

In comp.arch, rdavis@sushi.UUCP writes:

> > >>CD ROM roots would be bad because CD ROM's are blindingly slow.
> > >
> > >Currently true.  But don't take the current state-of-the-art as an intrinsic
> > >limit.  They'll get faster.
> > 
> > According to "CD-ROM: The New Papyrus" by Microsoft Press, faster data
> > transfer from CD-ROMs is unlikely because the frequency of the data starts
> > to approach the frequency of the servo mechanisms used to keep the optics
> > on track and in focus.
> 
> How about if you have more than one read (laser) on the same
     [ ... ]
> PS: I'm not an EE or a CD expert.   I just had an idea...

     How advanced have liquid-crystal lenses become?  It would be
interesting to see if liquid-crystal lenses could someday be used to
replace CD servo mechanisms.  Basically, the LCD lens would remain
physically fixed in place, and the focal point would be moved in 3D space,
not in 2D space (i.e., along the focal axis) like glass-type lenses.

     Of course, I could be barking up a tree ....


     -- Darryl Okahata
	{hplabs!hpccc!, hpfcla!} hpsrla!darrylo
	CompuServe: 75206,3074

Disclaimer: the above is the author's personal opinion and is not the
opinion or policy of his employer or of the little green men that
have been following him all day.