DataPlay
A bit surprising that Toshiba is getting into rotating media given their recent laptop fiasco.
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The new optical disks may take away Toshiba's customers who buy more expensive substitutes made by the Tokyo-based company. Kumata said the two kinds of devices --the new optical disks and data storage cards featuring flash memory chips-- will coexist until the storage cards become cheaper.
"The new disks will have to be rewritable or increase capacity to become a hit item for a long term," said Sakura Friend's Kumata.
Storage cards with 64 megabytes capacity produced by Toshiba and SanDisk cost 15,000 yen ($139.15). Users can rewrite data on the cards thousands of times without deteriorating sound or visual quality. Such cards are about the same size at the new optical disks.
Users choices are to have one expensive memory cards and use many times, or have five or six cheaper optical disks, Kumata said.
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The problem I see for Dataplay, as I have mentioned, in addition to the need for a dedicated drive and commensurate power consumption issues, relate to size and the non-rewritable nature.
After a photo shoot I will always do some touch up of images (cropping, contrast, color saturation) and name the files individually (the keepers). They are then stored in their new form. With DataPlay these images will be stored in their original form and will likely have a simple numeric notation. This can become confusing if you try to access the images subsequently. Also, the images will always be stored in the unaltered (unedited form). Personally, I don't see camera OEM's rushing off to alter their design to incorporate a DataPlay drive. One missed step could really cause a product line to faulter. Flash is fairly well accepted as the dominant standard for digital photography and it will be difficult to unseat.
DataPlay will be too big and power hungry for cellphones. I would be interested in hearing if any of the handset manufacturers plan to use it.
Finally, how is the DataPlay concept different from Sony MiniDisc? Aren't the media costs comparable? Why hasn't Sony promoted MiniDisc in the digital camera market previously instead of creating Memory Stick?
Again, MP3 is more of an open target as flash prices have remained too high and capacity too low. We have discussed that problem here many times. But flash prices will come down and player designs will be more innovative. DataPlay has a window of opportunity right now as the copyright issues remain hot topics (blunting OEM's interest in manufacturing unsecured devices) and flash prices remain high.
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I think Eli will be happy with a chunk of the vast MP3 market.
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