A one year subscription to Data Storage is $148, single copy price is $10. The issue that featured the article is Vol. 4 No. 3, Feb 1997. PennWell Publishing (918) 831-9424
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It's only sent out ten times a year. If you are involved technically with data storage products, you can probably get the subscription for free.
I wouldn't recommend buying the issue - the articles are highly technical in nature, right down to equations and formulas. They are obviously written for people and by people with advanced engineering degrees, and are somewhat boring unless you're involved with designing read/write heads or other work in the industry. I essentially took out the "meat" of the article, as it relates to Ampex.
I certainly wouldn't consider myself an expert, but I do feel this latest head design poses some serious competition to TFI and MR heads, especially considering the expense and complications (low yields) associated with manufacturing the MR heads. I also don't think it will take 5-10 years for the design to reach the market in large quantities. It all depends on how successful the prototypes work, how much money will be available for R & D, and most importantly, the cost to produce new drives invoking the design. With the low margins the drive manufacturers are currently getting, I'd think they would be very interested in these torodial heads. Perhaps this is why Western Digital has been stalling in investing in manufacturing drives using MR heads. Maybe they were waiting for something better to come along - since they can still use TFI heads and be competitive in today's market. You can bet WDC is very aware of this technology, and that virtually every engineer working there has a copy of Data Storage on his/her desk.
It was no accident mentioning the benefits the torodial head would have for the variable reluctance model that keepered media exhibits. Also, I'm not sure of Velocidata's role in producing their design, but I suspect that the engineers (as well as Velocidata, since they work for them) who have claims on the patent get a royalty payment for each head manufacturered. But bear in mind that changing the head design will probably require extensive modification to the read channel electronics, which may involve another party, such as Ampex. There must be a very close working relationship between Ampex and Velocidata.
The drive manufacturers who have committed themselves by investing big money in MR will be reluctant to switch over to something else, until another company comes up with a new product that is not only superior in performance, but also is so competitive that it begins affecting their revenues and growth. Considering the amount of time needed to successfully implement a new drive design, you can bet your lunch money that they won't wait for that to happen.
Whatever happens, I think at the current price you are getting are true bargain for AXC, solely on their DST/DCT product lines. This latest info is merely more evidence of something big in the works that could really set this stock skyrocketting. It just might take more time than the average uninformed investor is willing to wait. My advice is to accumulate more shares between 7 and 8, and you will be well rewarded 3-5 years from now. Is that really a long time? |
