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Technology Stocks : DSS: DLT finally open for trading -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Z Analyzer who wrote (119)	10/20/1999 8:21:00 AM
From: Sam	Respond to of 488

Isn't that the idea behind the LTO specs? That they would be able to have competitive sources of media and parts rather than be dependent on QNTM for them? There is an LTO web page somewhere which probably has their mission statement on it. I used to have the URL but don't anymore, though I'm sure it is easy to find.

To: Z Analyzer who wrote (119)	10/20/1999 9:05:00 AM
From: Sam	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 488

Z, Try going to lto.org for answers to your questions. One of the pages there has some analysts comments, reproduced below for your edification and amusement. They are arranged chronologically on the site, but I've put my favorite quote first. Sometimes I wonder if these people are paid to make these statements, if they're just pulled out of context, or if these people really are that dumb (not all of them are dumb, some are just obvious). Also, FWIW, Exabyte became an LTO licensee on 9/29. I'm not sure if that means they have no confidence in M2, or if they're just trying to see what the competition is up to, or they need the specs to make a library for LTO, or they're brilliantly hedging their bets, and now will develop two different drives. IT Solutions and Strategies, Feb - March 1999 "Linear Tape Open is designed to reduce the proliferation of multiple tape formats and technologies. Bob Amatruda, International Data Corp., October 1998 "Linear Tape Open (LTO) has been gaining mind share over the last 12 months," said Bob Amatruda, senior analyst for Tape and Removable Research, International Data Corporation (IDC). "Fujitsu's licensing of LTO adds credibility to the effort." Ray Freeman, Freeman Associates, October 1998 "Fujitsu's license lends further dignity to the Ultrium alliance and its objective of a common compatible format executed by multiple manufacturers. Fujitsu has been a respected maker of tape drives for several years and is the leading non-USA manufacturer of half-inch cartridge drives," said Ray Freeman, president of data storage market analysis firm Freeman Associates. Fara Yale, Dataquest, October 1998 "Fujitsu's expertise in developing tape drives that use linear recording technology extends back to the early 1980s. The company has marketed and developed multiple generations of half-inch cartridge 3480/90 compatible tape drives and it has several years' experience with magnetoresistive heads. The addition of Fujitsu as the fourth LTO drive licensee, along with the three media manufacturers and three other major storage manufacturers that have signed licenses, provides evidence of the growing industry interest in LTO technology," said Fara Yale of Dataquest. Mark Brownstein, Computer Technology Review, February 1999 "...LTO has some really attractive specs." Kelley Damore, Computer Reseller News, February 1999 LTO Technology features enhancements to a wide range of tape backup technology including data compression, track layout and error correction code to maximize capacity, performance and reliability.