🚀 go-pugleaf

sdm7g@aemsun.med.Virginia.EDU (Steven D. Majewski) writes:

>Also, I get the *impression* that 3-1/2 inch may become the preferred format.
>Are vendors actually doing more development on the smaller format ( at the 
>expense of the larger ) ? 

If you look at ads for places that specifically sell drives aimed at the
workstation and high-end computing market, you'll see that most drives are
(a) SCSI, and (b) 3.5". This would seem to be a result of the drive to reduce
the physical volume they occupy, although this aspect is primarily more so
because of the laptop makers demanding smaller, lighter drives as a last-ditch
attempt to stay competitive with palmtop and notebook makers.

I'd suspect that 5.25" drives will stay for the REALLY large sizes (ie. greater
that 1 meg), but expect all capacities below about 1 meg to be made as 3.5".
There are already some makers building drives up to 200 meg capacity in 2.5"
sizes, but don't ask me where the power cable plugs in!

I think this will apply equally to conventional magnetic storage as well as
newer optical technologies, although I'd expect optical drives to outpace
magnetic drives in the size versus capacity stakes in a few years.
-- 
 Craig Dewick               |      - Railway Preservation Industries P/L -
 Send email to:             |      actively supporting the preservation of
 craig@kralizec.zeta.org.au |           Australia's railway heritage.