> New Hi-MD format, 1GB capacity MD recorders and media.
Sony has lots of experience with high capacity magneto-optical
recording systems. Sony and Fujitsu announced a 1GB M/O data storage
system using 3.5 inch discs in 1998. The system was upgraded to
2.3GB in 2001. These drives were marketed under the "GigaMO" name.
To achieve the GigaMO capacity, the distance between tracks was
decreased, and the linear density of bits per track was increased. It
remains to be seen how reliable this recording system is under field
conditions. Despite the changes to track and data density, GigaMO
drives are backward-compatible with earlier data M/O discs.
The announcement of MP3 players built around the new 1 inch hard
drives must have spurred the development of a commercial Hi-MD
product. A 1GB minidisc will hold more than 7 hours of standard
ATRAC recordings. That's enough to be competitive with the 1 inch
hard disc players like the new Apple iPod Mini and Creative Muvo2.
1GB is also enough room for 90 minutes of CD-quality uncompressed
stereo recordings. I doubt that Sony will offer this option.
It will be very interesting to see how Sony prices the new Hi-MD
units. The iPod Mini list price is $250. But that's what Sony
already charges for 140MB minidisc machines like the N910. The Hi-MD
system has a removeable disc and microphone input, which the iPod
lacks.
--oryoki
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