Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!sundc!pitstop!sun!decwrl!labrea!agate!ucbvax!QUCIS.BITNET!spetz
From: spetz@QUCIS.BITNET
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Uses of CDROMS / WORMS
Message-ID: <8802041605.AA02354@qusunj.qucis.uucp>
Date: 4 Feb 88 16:05:30 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 21

Isn't the comparison between write-once media versus
write-many media similar to the audio debate between CD-ROM and DAT?

From a consumer/user point of view, it seems that DATs and write-many
media are more desirable because they allow the flexibility to
re-use the storage for different purposes.

From a industry/seller point of view, CD-ROMs and write-once media
are more desirable because they guarantee that the product cannot
be illegally duplicated.  Therefore, the industry protects its selling
market.

Being a consumer, I would therefore prefer to buy equipment and
information which can be changed, copied, etc. in much the same
way that I prefer equipment that lets me tape a friend's record album.

Are "DATs as to CD-ROMS" (audio) the same as "high-capacity Winchesters are to
WORMS/CD-ROMS" (data-storage)?

Troy Spetz
Queen's University, Kingston