papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) (12/16/89)
The following is reprinted from InfoWorld's "Notes from the field", Dec.
11, 1989:
"Microsoft does Flip-Flop, Won't be Faithful to Multimedia Anymore
... Take multimedia computing. After all this year's hoopla, Microsoft will
soon start to downplay multimedia because the kids in Redmond
have finally noticed that the hardware is not there yet at an acceptable
price.
"Their target systems have a 386SX, 2 to 4 megabytes of RAM, extended VGA
graphics, and a buil-in CD-ROM player, all for uder $2,000. The system's no
problem, but the price sure is -- at least for 1990"
-- end of quote
Well, I guess I 'll have to continue to do "multimedia" with my <$2,000,
<4 MB RAM Amiga :-)
-- Marco Papa 'Doc'
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=jcb@frisbee.Sun.COM (Jim Becker) (05/03/90)
farren@well.sf.ca.us (Mike Farren) writes: rick@tmiuv0.uucp writes: >Ah! But you can save to CD-ROM. The technology is called WORM (Write Once, >Read Many). The gist of this is that you can write to the media ONCE, after >that it's CD-ROM. Some WORM technologies do _not_ produce the same product >as a standard CD-ROM, but some do. None do. Period. A standard CD-ROM is a device which relies on the mechanical properties of the disk (the pits in the reflective surface) for its data encoding. You CANNOT make a standard CD non-mechanically. You may never be able to - and you absolutely, certainly cannot do so now. Hmmm.. don't know if this counts but there are people that are pressing CDs out of mylar and a standard hand press. The guy that I saw do this runs SOCS Research somewhere around here in the valley. Kind of like pressing grapes.. :-) There are of course other techniques that are being tried to produce the same effect, albeit most not with vanilla CD audio compatability. Radio Shack has announced a mega-player that addresses a number of different forms of Optical use, and can hook up to computer, stereo and TV from what I've heard. There is also a drive that was announced by a Japanese firm over a year ago to directly write CDs using a gold-based substrate, it was to be marketted to the professional audio studio audience for around $8.50 a disk. The problem with selling writable CDs and hardware isn't neccessarily mainly technical, but more political. It is DAT tapes all over again, with the advantage of a standard form-factor that is enjoyed by millions nationwide. WORM drives that are currently available use a variety of techniques for data encoding, but CD-ROMs they are not. -- Mike Farren farren@well.sf.ca.us I'm sure there are more examples, but I dropped out of Multimedia when I dropped out of the Amiga, couple of years ago. -Jim Becker -- Jim Becker / jcb%frisbee@sun.com / Sun Microsystems
david@twg.com (David Herron) (05/03/90)
In article <17539@well.sf.ca.us> farren@well.sf.ca.us (Mike Farren) writes: >rick@tmiuv0.uucp writes: >>Ah! But you can save to CD-ROM. The technology is called WORM (Write Once, >>Read Many). The gist of this is that you can write to the media ONCE, after >>that it's CD-ROM. Some WORM technologies do _not_ produce the same product >>as a standard CD-ROM, but some do. WORM doesn't use the same data format as CD-ROM.. sorry, it's not that simple a thing to do. As others have said the only choice is the expensive route through the CD-ROM stampers. Playing CD ROM's through an Amiga oughta be pretty simple. They just hook up as an SCSI device and it'd require another file system. No biggie. FYI-- SunOS 4.1 (just released last week) has stuff in it to read from CD ROM file systems and play the audio through the audio device. (Of course they're limitted to a single channel at 8khz resolution -- which was still enough to do credit to Jimi Hendrix at the Sun suite party at last sumer's Usenix, the music for the party was provided via a SparcStation 1 ...) >None do. Period. A standard CD-ROM is a device which relies on the mechanical >properties of the disk (the pits in the reflective surface) for its data >encoding. You CANNOT make a standard CD non-mechanically. You may never >be able to - and you absolutely, certainly cannot do so now. What about THOR? That vapourware from Tandy which is supposed to be the same format & all as CD ROM but recordable. Of course it's never seen light of day since that announcement and who knows when it'll be out.. Wouldn't it be possible to emulate CD ROM's with WORMS? Or even these magneto-optical drives that are starting to come out? They all have approx the same storage capacity (600 megs). Is the data throughput approx the same? The throughput I recall for CD ROM is 150 kbyte/sec which is more than a bit low for video so maybe that's not right. Rather -- the important thing is to be able to test your multi-media production before you send it to the CDROM stampers. (since they're expensive). So you write it onto a WORM or mag-opt and test away. -- <- David Herron, an MMDF weenie, <david@twg.com> <- Formerly: David Herron -- NonResident E-Mail Hack <david@ms.uky.edu> <- <- (funny quote under construction)
martin@IRO.UMontreal.CA (Daniel Martin) (05/04/90)
in article <5698@gollum.twg.com> david@twg.com (David Herron) writes: >... As others have said the only choice is the expensive route through the > CD-ROM stampers. Not that expensive. Cost per unit is vary with quatities, but go around 2.50$. Making the master cost 1000$. This is an appealing approch for software distributers. >Playing CD ROM's through an Amiga oughta be pretty simple. They just >hook up as an SCSI device and it'd require another file system. Comming soon to an amiga near you! >Wouldn't it be possible to emulate CD ROM's with WORMS? Or even these >magneto-optical drives that are starting to come out? They all have approx >the same storage capacity (600 megs). Is the data throughput approx >the same? The throughput I recall for CD ROM is 150 kbyte/sec which is >more than a bit low for video so maybe that's not right. A CD-ROM is 12cm (4.72inches) and can contain 660megs. A comparable 5 1/4 inches WORM disk can only contain 200megs [1]. No standard has emerge yet, but large disks can go over the 1 gigabyte barreer (perhaps using 2 sides reflective disk instead of transmissive ones). Informations on CD-ROMs is place in a spiral using CLV (constant Linear Velocity). To find information the CD-ROM player must first seek a track and adjust it's speed (varying from 00-530rpm) find the correct position of the spiral track and then find the correct sector. Maximum delay can take over 1 seconds. The new magneto-optical drives seem to be the future. You can write them, they are inexpensive and slowest ones can compare with floppy drives. Transfer rates are in the 1-5 Megabit range. >So you write it onto a WORM or mag-opt and test away. Or just buy a big HD. 660 megs are 3000$ and 1.2 gigabyte 5000$. I wouldn't be surprised if those go under 1000$ in a 4 year period (recent byte pronostic :-) ). > ><- David Herron, an MMDF weenie, <david@twg.com> Daniel Martin. P.s Where the world is comming to - mailers gave me: Do you wish to subscribe to alt.sex.aluminium.baseball.bat? Reference - [1] Luther, Arch C., "Digital Video in the PC Environment", Mc Graw Hill, pp. 330, 1989. -- // Daniel Martin Universite de Montreal \\ // MediaLab, ca vous regarde! C.P. 6128, Succursale A, \\ \\// Mail: martin@IRO.UMontreal.CA Montreal (Quebec), CANADA, \\// \/ UUCP: ..utai!mcgill-vision!iros52!martin H3C 3J7, Tel: (514)343-7009 \/