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 : Disk Drive Sector Discussion Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: T Bowl who wrote (7009)	8/26/1999 9:31:00 AM
From: Lee	Respond to of 9256

OT: Technology Projections Found this amongst the rubble. Though some of you might enjoy it. ______ As we conduct our puny technology projections to enable flexibility, upgradability, etc in the face of events which may happen some 50 years in the future (end of 21 Class), I happened across (not on government time) this attempt at Technology Projection at: singularity.posthuman.com singularity.posthuman.com -------------------------------------------- As of 1999, computing power has doubled every two years, like clockwork, for the past fifty years. However, the computer you're using to read this Web page still has only one-billionth the power of a human brain. At present, the total contribution of computers to intelligence on this planet is basically nil. Supercomputers won't reach human-equivalent power until 2025 or so, although networks of computers may chop at least a decade off this time. However, once Artificial Intelligences (AIs) are powered and programmed to reach human equivalence, time starts doing strange things. Two years after human equivalence is reached, the speed of these AIs doubles. For them, one year of objective time equals two years of subjective time. And since these computers are human-equivalent, they will be capable of doing the research, figuring out how to speed up computing power. One year later, three years total, the AIs' power doubles again - now the AIs are operating at four times human speed. Six months later... three months later... Four years after computers reach human equivalence, computing power goes to infinity. That's the short version. Reality is more complicated and doesn't follow neat little steps, but it ends up at about the same place in less time. Once any race gains the ability to technologically increase the level of intelligence - either by enhancing existing intelligence, or by constructing entirely new minds - a fundamental change in the rules occurs, as basic as the rise to sentience. Technology enhances intelligence, but intelligence is the source of technology. Positive feedback explodes. Very rapidly, intelligences build intelligences who build intelligences which are so powerful as to be effectively unknowable. This event is known as a Singularity The life cycle of an average race goes like this: Life evolves. [In our case, this happened about 4,000,000,000 B.C.] Dim intelligence evolves, capable of making simple tools. [2,500,000 B.C.] You Are Here: The intelligent species becomes capable of formulating complex, abstract thoughts, and of designing complex tools, including tools to make tools. [50,000 B.C. - present] The technology and science of the intelligent species reaches the point where it can augment its own intelligence, build AIs, or some mix of the two. [2015 A.D.] The first-stage enhanced intelligences turn their minds to the task of designing even better intelligences, probably using "fast infrastructures" (such as nanotechnology <http://www.foresight.org <http://www.foresight.org> >) to create the necessary computing power. The second-stage enhanced intelligences create "superintelligences". Positive feedback explodes, with intelligence creating technology enhancing intelligence. The superintelligences are operating on subjective-time processing speedups of years per human second. Singularity. The race reaches the ultimate limits of physical and mental power. [2015 A.D.] --------------------------------------- SO: be sure to plan accordingly in our developing architectures.

To: T Bowl who wrote (7009)	8/26/1999 12:24:00 PM
From: Mark Oliver	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 9256

How'd you guys let this one slip past? This is seemingly big news for RDRT to have Quantum back as a customer. I guess that's why they are up 50% in the last week? Is this news strong enough to throw another point? Regards, Mark Wednesday August 25, 2:44 pm Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: Read-Rite Corporation Read-Rite Is Back at Quantum Receives GMR Production Order for Quantum's Fireball Program MILPITAS, Calif., Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Read-Rite Corporation (Nasdaq: RDRT - news) today announced it has received a volume purchase order to supply giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head gimbal assemblies (HGAs) at an areal density of 6.2 gigabits per square inch, or 8.7 gigabytes per 3.5 inch disk, to Quantum Corporation's Hard Disk Drive Group (NYSE: HDD - news) for their Fireball lct (low cost technology) program. Read-Rite is currently ramping production of the HGAs, with initial shipments scheduled to begin in September. ''We are very pleased to announce today, after a two year absence, we have returned as a strategic supplier to Quantum's Hard Disk Drive Group. This is a major milestone in Read-Rite's turnaround to be back at Quantum, the largest producer of disk drives for the desktop marketplace,'' said Cyril J. Yansouni, chairman and chief executive officer. ''Although the disk drive industry environment remains extremely challenging for Read-Rite in the short-term, we are encouraged by our progress on GMR technology and our expanding customer base. We are currently working with Quantum on numerous desktop and enterprise programs. We look forward to our renewed relationship with Quantum as we continue to provide our customers with leading edge technology,'' he added. Read-Rite Corporation is one of the world's leading independent manufacturers of magnetic recording heads, head gimbal assemblies (HGAs) and head stack assemblies (HSAs) for disk drives and tape drives. The company is headquartered in Milpitas, California and has operations in Japan, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore. The company's home page on the world wide web can be reached at readrite.com . This news release contains statements which include forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended, and is subject to the ''safe harbor'' created by those sections. These statements include, but are not limited to: the company's expectation that shipments will begin in September; and the company's expectation that its renewed relationship with Quantum will continue. The company's actual results for future periods could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking information. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to: the company may be unsuccessful in ramping HGA production for Quantum; the company may be unsuccessful in obtaining additional design wins for other Quantum desktop and enterprise programs; and the other factors described in the company's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, its Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 1998 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the first, second and third quarters of Fiscal Year 1999 ended December 27, 1998, March 28, 1999 and June 27, 1999 respectively. Read-Rite undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements. SOURCE: Read-Rite Corporation