Xref: utzoo comp.sys.mac:21524 comp.arch:6561
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!decwrl!sun!thetone!swilson
From: swilson%thetone@Sun.COM (Scott Wilson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.arch
Subject: Re: NeXT press release (very long but interesting)
Message-ID: <73003@sun.uucp>
Date: 14 Oct 88 04:35:04 GMT
References: <5423@juniper.uucp> <72886@sun.uucp> <635@ardent.UUCP>
Sender: news@sun.uucp
Reply-To: swilson@sun.UUCP (Scott Wilson)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 44

In article <635@ardent.UUCP> kmw@ardent.UUCP (Ken Wallich) writes:
>In article <72886@sun.uucp> swilson@sun.UUCP (Scott Wilson) writes:
>>>...256 Megabyte Optical Disk, making possible this new storage technology
>>>The Optical Disk combines the vast storage capacities, removability
>>>and reliability of laser technology with the fast access and full
>>>read/write/erase capabilities of Winchester (magnetic) technology.
>>
>>Hmm, this looks suspicious to me.  Note that the the terms "vast
>>storage capacities", "removability", and "reliability" are used to
>>describe laser technology while "full read/write/erase" capabilites
>>are associated with Winchester (magnetic) technology.  Does this mean
>>that it is nothing more than CD-ROM and an old-fashioned hard disk
>>packaged together?  
>
>I find it odd that you interpret the phrase this way.  I see only one device
>mentioned, a 256 Meg Optical Disc, it's features are that it has
>lots of storage on a reliable, removable optical disc, which is also
>fast and allows you to read/write/erase, just like the 'ol magnetic discs
>everyone else is so fond of, and that everyone currently associates with
>read/write/erase.

Well, I never thought of it that way.  Maybe your right.  I guess it all
depends on how you look at it.  For example, leaving out a few words you
could have either:

	"The Optical Disk combines ... laser technology with ... Winchester
	(magnetic) technology."

or:

	"The Optical Disk combines removability and reliability and ...
	read/write/erase capabilities ...."

So either it's a hybrid of the two technologies or its just optical
technology that has the same features as magnetic technology.  Isn't
English fun?


--
Scott Wilson		arpa: swilson@sun.com
Sun Microsystems	uucp: ...!sun!swilson
Mt. View, CA

"And the fool loves war, and the gentle die."     -The Call