Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : WDC/Sandisk Corporation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: NHP who wrote (6073)	6/19/1999 11:48:00 PM
From: Ausdauer	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 60323

NHP and Thread, A lot of hype here for the IBM microdrive. I still find it annoying that this product has not been tested in the hands of the consumer. It kind of reminds me of the old Samsonite commercials where the luggage is "handled" by a gorilla at the city zoo. Also, I am aware that some Calluna card users have had problems with bad sectors and corrupted images when this product is used in digital cameras. I am not saying it is a common problem, just that reports are starting to trickle out. Currently the 48 MB CompactFlash sells for less than $2.00 per MB and I think that $1.50 per MB is not that far off. At that price flash memory will be tough to compete with. It will be interesting to see if camera manufacturers will begin switching to type II CF+ slots for future generations of cameras. Recall that CF type II will lead to substantial increases in capacity for SanDisk given the fatter form factor. Here is the story... IBM's Tiny Storage May Threaten Flash Memory (06/18/99, 7:46 p.m. ET) techweb.com "On the surface, the Microdrive would seem to compete directly with flash memory, especially since it conforms to the CF standard's physical dimensions..." This is not true currently. "A spokesman for Sunnyvale, Calif.-based SanDisk said a 192-MB version of the CompactFlash card will ship this fall." The MMC card is expected to reach upto 128MB in 2000. Ausdauer

To: NHP who wrote (6073)	6/20/1999 10:32:00 AM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Respond to of 60323

NHP, no I didn't know how well Berkshire would do. When I bought the shares, Berkshire was in the process of getting rid of its textile manufacturing assets (at a huge loss). It was not directly an owner of the old Hathaway shirt label, though some of those assets were purchased by Warren Buffett and his colleages at Berkshire because the assets appeared extremely undervalued. Buffett learned the hard way that an apparent bargain is only a bargain if it is capable of generating a good return. The reason I bought Berkshire was that Buffett had a reputation for analyzing companies on the basis of value. His thinking was sound, so logical and astute, in fact, that anyone who downloads his letters in each year's annual report (available at BerkshireHathaway.com) will end up with one of the best textbooks on investing. Looking at value is precisely why I decided to invest in SanDisk. It was, and still is an excellent value, because of . . . the patents, of course! To understand why the market tends to undervalue intangibles such as patents, I recommend you look up an article in last week's Economist magazine, which addresses an asset you won't find on the balance sheet: Knowledge capital.