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

To: Sam Citron who wrote (8317)	12/6/1999 8:16:00 PM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 60323

This would take some time to explain fully. Yes, I meant protect, not product. I'm sure an engineer or specialist familiar with the patents could go into greater detail. Basically, there are patents on how a file is written to the flash memory, and how it is retrieved; how the software searches for good sectors on the flash memory, and how it avoids damaged sectors. There are differences in read/write speeds between various products. Intel, which has a cross licensing agreement with SanDisk, was unable to produce a chip with fast enough write speeds to enable it to be used in a camera. Intel, which also apparently was the first company to achieve a workable double density flash memory, was unable to get it to read or write fast enough, but the improvements made by SanDisk overcame those problems. There are also design features, such as combining the controller card and the memory in one package, so that what the appliance sees, regardless of card capacity, is the same. This gives forward and backward compatibility to CF users and explains why you can substitute a 128 mb card for an 8m card, with no problems. The competing SmartMedia card apparently has some problems in this respect, because the controller is not built into the flash chip but instead is in the camera itself. Lexar has products almost identical to those made by SNDK, perhaps identical enough such that SNDK will prevail in its ongoing patent infringement suit. Several other companies are producing flash memories, but some of these units are embedded in an appliance and are not removable, but seem to be intended mainly to supply an operating system or program application for a hand held computer or other similar appliance. Finally, there appear to be major differences in flash memory cards designed for MP3 players. SNDK has helped create a standard that puts an encryption capability right into the card, making it impossible for the user to distribute copies of copyrighted music or other files. SNDK MMC cards for MP3 players are also designed to prevent accidental deletion by mechanical means (patented), whereas Sony uses electronic means, also patented. The differences between various approaches mean that there is competition. No single company has an unbeatable product. On the other hand, SNDK appears to be well ahead of competing systems in terms of features, size, cost, etc. The alliances SNDK has forged with companies like Toshiba assure that a large company like Sony will not be able to foist its own standards on the industry, a la Microsoft. Weighing all these factors, the balance favors SanDisk, at least for the moment.