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Author
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Topic: Is Polycarbonate Really Dead? I Don't Think So
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DerekCurrie
Newbie Larva
Member # 29769
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posted October 23, 2010 13:52
Sorry kids, but the oddball predictions of dead technologies due to the new MacBook Air are either silly or outright wrong. CD and DVD media are dead? How about we meet up here again in a year so I can have a good laugh an your lack of insight skills.
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Fortune Magazine 11-29-05: What's your computer setup today?
Frederick Brooks (Author of 'The Mythical Man Month): I happily use a Macintosh. It's not been equalled for ease of use, and I want my computer to be a tool, not a challenge.
Posts: 6 | From: Syracuse, NY | Registered: Dec 2009
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
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posted October 23, 2010 17:10
____ Lexan, is very good for motorcycle windshields!!!
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
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The Famous Druid
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posted October 23, 2010 17:12
A couple of years ago I'd have said "You still need CD/DVD to make backups" - but with external hard drives now costing about 7 cents per gigabyte, I haven't done a backup to DVD in a long time.
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If you watch 'The History Of NASA' backwards, it's about a space agency that has no manned spaceflight capability, then does low-orbit flights, then lands on the Moon.
Posts: 10313 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Oct 2002
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Xanthine
Solid Nitrozanium SuperFan!
Member # 736
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posted October 23, 2010 17:23
Be careful about that. External HDs can and do fail.
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And it's one, two, three / On the wrong side of the lee / What were you meant for? / What were you meant for?
- The Decemberists
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dragonman97
SuperFan!
Member # 780
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posted October 23, 2010 21:49
That's why I have more than one external HD. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Also, my most important data is usually backed up on more than one kind of media...but I've pretty much forgotten about writable discs and moved to flash storage - either USB keys or SD.
At work, I went straight from bootable floppies to PXE boot, falling back on bootable USB, as CDs require far too much labor when 'touching' a computer†.
About the only thing I use writable discs for is for bootable Linux distros, which can be invaluable resources. Until recently, the cost of USB keys was such that this still made sense - I'm probably going to start revisiting that soon.
OTOH, I'm a very happy Netflix subscriber, and the 'watch online' collection pales compared to the disc collection, so I won't be giving up DVDs anytime soon. However, things like the MacBook Air & netbooks are usually not 'primary' computers, so I just don't see this as a huge issue. After all, external drives are perfectly usable and available...as is DVD ripping.
As to the JoT, I hadn't seen that until this thread -- I don't think the projection is that far off. Retail sales of CDs and DVDs have plummeted, and I'm not sure that BluRay has taken off...at all. I know lots of places sell them, but how many people have players or care? I'm relatively sure that certain grumpy folks like me will hold off on buying movies online for years to come, and DVDs will still exist for some time, but they're just not in their hayday anymore. Maybe polycarbonate media isn't dead, but it's definitely collecting Social Security.
† Of course, I still use floppy disks for the 'master image,' which gives me a lovely trip down memory lane. Now, if only someone would make a USB 5 1/4" drive... ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
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There are three things you can be sure of in life: Death, taxes, and reading about fake illnesses online...
Posts: 9038 | From: Westchester County, New York | Registered: May 2001
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
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posted October 24, 2010 04:27
____ Dman, I am guessing that you still have media and are looking for a mechanism? I'll have to go up into the barn and see if I kept an old machine, mine were in Ti-99/4A not DOS machines. I do know that DOS machines wanted to reformat my floppies.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
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dragonman97
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posted October 24, 2010 08:51
MoMan: That's OK - my 386 still works. ![[Wink]](wink.gif) ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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There are three things you can be sure of in life: Death, taxes, and reading about fake illnesses online...
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
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posted October 24, 2010 10:24
____ Dman, from your last post I was unsure if you wanted me to look or not. Any way I went up in the barn to where the dinosaurs live, nope the TI-99/4A is not up there, nor the old IBMs, Only one old Quadra that has some finances that will soon be past the statute of limitations, I was at one time the treasurer of a Charity, One More year of keeping that thing. Not even any floppies them selves. I used to have all old stuff, guess I threw some of it away, or did not carry it up there.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
Posts: 5072 | From: Just South of the Huron National Forest, in the water shed of the Rifle River | Registered: Sep 2002
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CalfeeRider
Single Celled Newbie
Member # 35300
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posted October 24, 2010 12:06
We can quibble about whether the CD/DVD will be the next coffee table coaster, but ***I*** know that snaggy needs to find someone with a voice and a guitar and Garage Band so that those of us who think we know the means of all Don McLean's allusions can do our best closet Karaoke while wailing snaggy's marvelous substitute lyrics for "American Pie." ![[Applause]](graemlins/applause.gif)
Posts: 1 | From: California | Registered: Oct 2010
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
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posted October 25, 2010 05:05
____ Karaoke, isn't that an Asian Motorcycle?
____ Remember when Memory was sold in 32K sticks?
____ I have been playing with comps since 1978, wow has the landscape ever changed. Sure am glad that Steve & Steve ran with Xerox's Gui idea.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
Posts: 5072 | From: Just South of the Huron National Forest, in the water shed of the Rifle River | Registered: Sep 2002
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The Famous Druid
Gold Hearted SuperFan!
Member # 1769
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posted October 25, 2010 05:41
quote:
Originally posted by TheMoMan:
Remember when Memory was sold in 32K sticks?
My first computer had 4116's (16K x 1-bit RAM chips), 32 of those cost me a fortnights pay.
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If you watch 'The History Of NASA' backwards, it's about a space agency that has no manned spaceflight capability, then does low-orbit flights, then lands on the Moon.
Posts: 10313 | From: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: Oct 2002
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
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posted October 25, 2010 06:21
____ Remember the Sinclair??
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
Posts: 5072 | From: Just South of the Huron National Forest, in the water shed of the Rifle River | Registered: Sep 2002
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zesovietrussian
SuperBlabberMouth!
Member # 1177
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posted October 25, 2010 08:56
quote:
Originally posted by dragonman97:
That's why I have more than one external HD.
Also, my most important data is usually backed up on more than one kind of media...but I've pretty much forgotten about writable discs and moved to flash storage - either USB keys or SD.
At work, I went straight from bootable floppies to PXE boot, falling back on bootable USB, as CDs require far too much labor when 'touching' a computer†.
About the only thing I use writable discs for is for bootable Linux distros, which can be invaluable resources. Until recently, the cost of USB keys was such that this still made sense - I'm probably going to start revisiting that soon.
OTOH, I'm a very happy Netflix subscriber, and the 'watch online' collection pales compared to the disc collection, so I won't be giving up DVDs anytime soon. However, things like the MacBook Air & netbooks are usually not 'primary' computers, so I just don't see this as a huge issue. After all, external drives are perfectly usable and available...as is DVD ripping.
As to the JoT, I hadn't seen that until this thread -- I don't think the projection is that far off. Retail sales of CDs and DVDs have plummeted, and I'm not sure that BluRay has taken off...at all. I know lots of places sell them, but how many people have players or care? I'm relatively sure that certain grumpy folks like me will hold off on buying movies online for years to come, and DVDs will still exist for some time, but they're just not in their hayday anymore. Maybe polycarbonate media isn't dead, but it's definitely collecting Social Security.
† Of course, I still use floppy disks for the 'master image,' which gives me a lovely trip down memory lane. Now, if only someone would make a USB 5 1/4" drive...
BluRay will be more widespread now that BluRay players have become dirt-cheap. Only early adopters were willing to fork over $600+ for one when they first came out, but everyone and their grandma can get one for $60 nowadays.
PS: Your PM box is full.
Posts: 1092 | From: Boston | Registered: Mar 2002
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
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posted October 25, 2010 09:49
____ Dead Tech, may the lord have mercy on your soul
____ Acustic Modems
____ Audio tape drives for programs
____ Card board floppies
____ Plastic Floppies
____ Paper tape punches & readers
____ Modulators to put the computer on your TV screen.
____ CRT monitors
____ I wish Dial-up modems were not still needed.
____ And it appears CD/ROMS & DVDs
____ What a ride for the past thirty years. Did I miss anything????
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
Posts: 5072 | From: Just South of the Huron National Forest, in the water shed of the Rifle River | Registered: Sep 2002
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GrumpySteen
Solid Nitrozanium SuperFan
Member # 170
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posted October 25, 2010 11:01
The Famous Druid wrote:
My first computer had 4116's (16K x 1-bit RAM chips), 32 of those cost me a fortnights pay.
This will probably turn this topic into a flurry of "in my day..." posts, but I can't resist.
I would have loved to have that much memory and processor power in my first computer.
To get back to the topic, the popularity of polycarbonate discs (and physical media in general) may have peaked, but they won't ever go away. There will always be a segment of the market that wants to buy products that they can physically handle, give away and resell as they please (much to the RIAA's dismay).
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Worst. Celibate. Ever.
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Sxeptomaniac
Member # 3698
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posted October 25, 2010 11:21
I still use CD/DVD media pretty regularly when I need to get large amounts of information to others, such as large pictures. There aren't many easy alternatives... flash cards aren't too expensive, but still a bit much to go handing off to people, and sharing through the internet generally involves shrinking the files down. They are definitely less necessary than they used to be, but I think polycarbonate disks will be hanging around for quite a while still.
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Let's pray that the human race never escapes from Earth to spread its iniquity elsewhere. - C. S. Lewis
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TheMoMan
BlabberMouth, a Blabber Odyssey
Member # 1659
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posted October 27, 2010 10:46
____ Dman, I found it an old Jameco 5-1/4 floppy drive. The cable is for a powered 25 pin Com port.
____ I did not google enough to see if there is an USB adaptor for this thing.
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If it don't glow it ain't Ham Radio
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Mr. Geek 2U
Geek
Member # 28663
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posted October 29, 2010 15:27
Hello! Hello!
Plastic is still a cheap way to give away great big digi-files!
They will work until something cheaper comes along.
That is my vote!
And I vote for the funny lyrics, too! LMPCAO!
Have a great day!
Mr. Geek 2U!
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My friends call me Skippy
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