Path: utzoo!yunexus!geac!syntron!jtsv16!uunet!pyrdc!netsys!ames!elan!jlo
From: jlo@elan.UUCP (Jeff Lo)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: NeXT press release (very long but interesting)
Message-ID: <363@elan.UUCP>
Date: 13 Oct 88 19:36:35 GMT
Article-I.D.: elan.363
References: <5423@juniper.uucp> <72886@sun.uucp>
Reply-To: jlo@elan.UUCP (Jeff Lo)
Organization: Elan Computer Group, Inc., Palo Alto, CA
Lines: 36

In article <72886@sun.uucp> swilson@sun.UUCP (Scott Wilson) writes:
>>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 also noticed in the press release that blank
>optical disks will be available so some type of writing is possible,
>maybe the optical portion is WORM?  Earlier in the release it said
>"removable, read/write/erasable 256 Megabyte Optical Disk", but the
>above seems to contradict that.  Was NeXT trying to make their machine
>sound more innovative than it really is?

When Jobs spoke about the machine and mass storage options for it, he
said they discarded the idea of small winchesters and "bet the company"
on being able to get read/write/erasable optical disks in time. He
stressed the fact that it was a re-writable optical disk and that they
were using them 4-5 years before anybody expected the technology to be
available. I don't think it is a WORM/magnetic disk combination.
Jobs didn't say anything about access times or transfer rates though.
The Wall Street Journal today said it is a magneto-optical disk, so
perhaps it is a hybrid of both technologies on a single medium.

He stressed the removability of the disk as making to possible to carry
"everything you've ever done in your back pocket" so you could bring
your disk to another university and have everything there just like on
your own machine.
-- 
Jeff Lo
..!{ames,hplabs,uunet}!elan!jlo
Elan Computer Group, Inc.
(415) 322-2450