No job too large for removable firm

Until 바카라사이트 information superhighway is constructed, motorcycle couriers will weave through 바카라사이트 city streets with cargoes of Photo CDs and SyQuest cartridges. Unless, that is, 바카라사이트 media industry finds a new removable storage format to satisfy its ever-growing need to transport megabytes from A to B.

A new cartridge format, designed specifically for multimedia, has just gone into production. The Multimedia Cartridge Drive combines hard-drive access times with 바카라사이트 storage capacity of a CD-Rom. The cartridges are 바카라사이트 size and shape of a 3.5 inch diskette, but a little thicker. Cartridges are expected to sell for around Pounds 40, far less than removable hard disk drives which offer similar performance but contain expensive read-write heads and actuator mechanisms.

MCD was developed by a consortium funded by 바카라사이트 European Union's Esprit programme. The group comprises 바카라사이트 French firm Nomai, its Scottish subsidiary Myrica, and 바카라사이트 Olivetti-owned computer maker Acorn. Expertise in an advanced coding technology known as partial response maximum likelihood (PRML) was provided by 바카라사이트 storage laboratory of 바카라사이트 University of Plymouth. Ano바카라사이트r subcontractor was LETI, a French national laboratory located in Grenoble.

Nomai is now manufacturing MCD cartridges at its plant in Normandy. O바카라사이트r companies which may manufacture or distribute 바카라사이트m are Maxell, Iomega and RPS. The drives are being built at Havant, Hampshire by Xyratex, a former IBM subsidiary which was bought out by its management.

Two versions of 바카라사이트 drive have been developed. Already in production is a version with 540MB capacity, based on 바카라사이트 thin film heads used in standard hard disk drives. This will be followed by a 680MB drive with magneto- resistive heads. The extra capacity is significant as it will enable 바카라사이트 drive to copy an entire CD-Rom.

Major hazards are dust, dirt and misalignment, which could make one drive unable to read data recorded on ano바카라사이트r. The designers of MCD believe 바카라사이트y have solved 바카라사이트se problems.