Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!decwrl!shelby!daemon
From: lane@sumex-aim.stanford.edu (Christopher Lane)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: (none)
Message-ID: <1154@shelby.Stanford.EDU>
Date: 8 Jan 90 23:09:36 GMT
Sender: daemon@shelby.Stanford.EDU
Lines: 39

I've a suggestion for a solution to the problem of a lack of an inexpensive
removal media for delivering sofware for NeXT users (assuming it is actually
possible to influence NeXT and/or third party vendors).

The solution would work for any existing NeXT and consists of two components.
One is an optical platter similar to the disk currently inside the NeXT
optical cartridge (same interior hub) but with a much smaller diameter (around
1/5 the storage capacity).  The second component would be a carrier
functionally identical to the NeXT optical cartridge surround which would open
and allow the insertion of the new, smaller optical disk (similar to the way
that the Apple CD reader has a 'container' into which one inserts (the
equivalent of) an audio CD).

Thus NeXT users would only have to purchase one carrier (more than one would
be a luxury, not a necessity) and any number of the smaller, cheaper disks
(which would have protective plastic boxes around them when not in use, like
audio CDs).  This combination would slip into the existing optical slot on the
NeXT--they would have to update their software and/or tables to handle this
configuration.

The cartridge would probably, at most, cost twice the current optical
cartridge and would be a one-time purchase (or NeXT could retrofit everyone
with one, just like the swapping disk--people who wanted the convienience of
more than one would buy extras).  I assume the smaller optical itself would
probably cost around $5 - $15 for anywhere from 25MB to 75MB.

This solution would get us the cheaper media that the user community wants and
not negate the money users have (implicitly) invested in their optical drives.
Now, how do we get someone to manufacture it?

- Christopher

PS: Apologies if this has been suggested before (I don't recall it), it just
seems such an obvious approach as compared to NeXT owners adding third party
floppy drives and/or the current situation.

PPS: Yes, I realize this doesn't do optical-only people much good (unless they
have two optical drives)!
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