franken@bbncca.ARPA (Ed Frankenberry) (06/20/84)
An item in the most recent (6/14) issue of Electronics caught my eye: "Digital-disk players to appear in 1985 cars" "With problems of size, heat and vibration apparently overcome, digital audio disks will soon take to the road. Manufacturers at last week's CES in Chicago were promising US deliveries early next year on automobile players in the Compact Disc technology. For instance, the CDX-1 unit shown by Pioneer and set for January introduction features a modular design to reduce dashboard space requirements... A unit also promised for January that was developed jointly by Toyota and Fujitsu Ten Ltd. has a modular design and components floated on a special suspension system to combat vibration and shock. Though Pioneer has not yet set prices, the Fujitsu unit is expected to come in at $600 to $700. Meanwhile, prices continue to plummet on home CD players, with at least one Chicago exhibitor showing a unit with a suggested $399 price. Such price drops from last year's $800 to $1200 introductory pricing are expected to help boost sales in the US this year to about 200,000 units -- up from 35,000 in 1983..."