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Holographic 1600 gigabyte discs by 2006?
Posted: 2005-01-09 02:36pm
by Arthur_Tuxedo
Reporter wrote:Holographic Storage Come True
Chris Crum | Staff Writer | 2005-01-06
InPhase Technologies has developed a computer storage medium that has the potential to store over a terabyte of data on one disc.
According to an article at LinuxInsider.com, the technology which is called Holographic storage was first suggested in the 1960s. Now 40 years later, InPhase has turned the idea into something concrete.
InPhase Chief Exec, Nelson Diaz stated, "The InPhase prototype drive serves as the mile marker on the path to commercialisation of holographic storage."
An article at ZDNet UK says:
"InPhase's holographic technology stores data in 3D holograms within a 1.5mm strip of photopolymeric material that sits within a disk or cartridge. This technique allows more data to be fitted onto a disk because it makes use of its full depth, rather than just recording onto its surface.
Over one million bits of data can be stored within a "3D page", which InPhase says can be read or written in a single flash of the drive's laser. This means its Tapestry range should offer very high-speed access as well as large capacity. "
"This technology offers the highest density and performance of any optical system and will assume a prominent role in the storage landscape," says Diaz.
InPhase plans to release the drives in 2006 with the smallest being 200GB and the largest being 1.6TB.
I'm highly skeptical, but it's the first I've heard of it, so I don't know. Anybody know if this is legit or bogus?
Posted: 2005-01-09 03:28pm
by Admiral Valdemar
I've heard of this before by another company. The discs were read and written by a UV laser (in itself, expensive enough) and enabled normal sized CDs to carry well over a TB of data and look translucent bar a slight blue tint where the many layers of data are stored.
It didn't take-off, obviously, but maybe now they've got cheaper technology and learnt some new tricks after DVD.
Posted: 2005-01-09 03:49pm
by CDS
I don't think they've made any real effort with that.. I can see it seeing the day of light towards the latter end of the year. Afterall, DVD is relatively new
Posted: 2005-01-09 03:50pm
by Howedar
I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
Posted: 2005-01-09 03:56pm
by Faram
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
PORN! And loads of it.
You can NEVER have enuff PORN!
Posted: 2005-01-09 03:57pm
by Eleas
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
For backing up your porn, obviously.
Seriously though, it's not gonna be available for the moment either, so it's okay.
Posted: 2005-01-09 04:09pm
by Praxis
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
*raises hand*
Seriously, I've nearly used up my 120 GB HD, and I've been going easy on it
I would be ripping all my DVD's, creating and mounting disk images of every game CD I have, etc, if I had a terabyte.
Posted: 2005-01-09 04:15pm
by The Kernel
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
High definition video is ridiculously storage intensive, even in a compressed state. If you consider the possibility of working with 1080i/p HD video is an uncompressed state, you are looking at filling that terabyte drive in a matter of minutes.
As for this specific technology, holographic storage has always been seen as the successor to modern magneto-optical storage devices, it's just a question of when and what sort of technological hurdles we are going to see along the way.
Posted: 2005-01-09 04:23pm
by Dahak
Isn't that the same technology these guys using Tesa sticky tape for storage used?
Posted: 2005-01-09 04:52pm
by phongn
The Kernel wrote:High definition video is ridiculously storage intensive, even in a compressed state. If you consider the possibility of working with 1080i/p HD video is an uncompressed state, you are looking at filling that terabyte drive in a matter of minutes.
Even worse would be if you wanted to start editing film or at film resolution. 24p film is horribly space intensive, especially when you start going into the visually lossless range (which some studios are doing to archive old stuff)
Posted: 2005-01-09 04:58pm
by General Zod
as tempting as this technology sounds, i'd imagine anything offering this large a capacity would be horribly expensive. even more so than blu-ray is right now possibly.
Posted: 2005-01-09 05:22pm
by Robert Treder
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
I've got a big suitcase filled with DVDs all full of video, music, and software. It'd be quite nice if there were a more convenient way of storing that much data.
Posted: 2005-01-09 05:27pm
by SPOOFE
I always laugh at people that say, "Oh, people don't NEED that." It shows a decided short-sightedness on their part. People don't NEED anything more than a fire, a spear, and a mate. All of civilization is utterly non-essential.
If someone finds a way to make 1.6 terabytes cheap and affordable, then people will WANT it, for no other reason than they can have it for cheap. They'll find something to load onto it, eventually.
Posted: 2005-01-09 06:03pm
by Admiral Valdemar
SPOOFE wrote:I always laugh at people that say, "Oh, people don't NEED that." It shows a decided short-sightedness on their part. People don't NEED anything more than a fire, a spear, and a mate. All of civilization is utterly non-essential.
If someone finds a way to make 1.6 terabytes cheap and affordable, then people will WANT it, for no other reason than they can have it for cheap. They'll find something to load onto it, eventually.
A certain quote by Billy Gates is applicable here.
Posted: 2005-01-09 07:28pm
by Arthur_Tuxedo
So the consensus is that holographic storage is indeed the next technological step in storage, but that these "mass market players by 2006" people are probably full of shit?
Posted: 2005-01-09 07:32pm
by SPOOFE
Yeah, but tech-heads are always predicting huge breakthroughs "coming soon". People don't care if they're gonna have uber-tech in twenty years...
See, the people that want to make this need monetary funds. In order to get them, they need excitement for the product in the marketplace. In order to drum up that excitement, they make announcements like this.
I remember back in, like, 1998 or something, there was a tiny CD-like storage disc about the size of a penny that supposedly could store hundreds of gigabytes. Unfortunately, there was no way to actually READ that data. Of course, that little factoid didn't stop them from trying to get people excited about it.
Posted: 2005-01-09 08:42pm
by Sharp-kun
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
I've filled up 500Gb. I can see me using a Tb by the summer.
Posted: 2005-01-10 12:52am
by CaptainChewbacca
With that sort of storage space I could catalog and store the entire archives of the University Geophysical collection! Ok, that souds boring, but I'm enthusiastic.
Posted: 2005-01-10 03:17am
by General Zod
Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:So the consensus is that holographic storage is indeed the next technological step in storage, but that these "mass market players by 2006" people are probably full of shit?
2010 would be more realistic. 2006 would be stretching it, since the technology needs time to be perfected to the point where it's cheap enough for mass market distribution. look at how long dvds have taken to become saturated in the marketplace, for example.
Posted: 2005-01-10 05:16am
by wautd
Faram wrote:Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
PORN! And loads of it.
You can NEVER have enuff PORN!
was thinking the same thing. Now if only internet got a million times faster
Posted: 2005-01-10 06:50am
by Terr Fangbite
I first heard about this technology about 2 years ago while doing a project for my computer class. I do expect that in 2006 we'll have that storage medium available. Will it be cheap? No. Will it be widespread? No. However, I think the 2010 mark sounds good for when common man begins to really see it in use.
I wonder how much extra fotage one can place on that for the next "Uber-1 Holo disk Lord of the Rings Extra-Extended Edition with over 100 hours of bonus fotage!"
Posted: 2005-01-10 10:33am
by Robert Walper
Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
Actually, I would be one of the first to line up buying this sucker. I'd need that much room. Mind you, I doubt I'd use an
entire CD, but there's alot of data I can back up. Music files, funny video files, game patches, game mods. Right now I need two or three typical CDs to back up stuff I consider a pain in the ass to recover otherwise.
Posted: 2005-01-10 10:36am
by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman
Robert Walper wrote:Howedar wrote:I can't fathom why the home computer user needs a terabyte of storage at the moment.
Actually, I would be one of the first to line up buying this sucker. I'd need that much room. Mind you, I doubt I'd use an
entire CD, but there's alot of data I can back up. Music files, funny video files, game patches, game mods.
No porns?
Posted: 2005-01-10 10:06pm
by InnocentBystander
How long do you suppose it'd take to write all 1.6tb in a single run?
Posted: 2005-01-10 11:22pm
by Howedar
Everyone who has or wants to jump on my back (as I expected many would), I was very careful to add "home" and "at the moment". Obviously it would be very useful in business or industry, and I'm sure someday we'll all be running 5000x5000 resolution or some crazy shit like that.