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

To: Steve 667 who wrote (13503)	8/2/2000 11:20:29 AM
From: Art Bechhoefer	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 60323

Steve, doesn't a device with no moving parts have some benefit over anything with moving parts? Wouldn't the current draw be less for solid state memory? If people want a CD device in their car, why not continue to use the car CD's or the portable CD players that plug into a car radio? Despite its price, the MMC card appears to be the technology of choice to replace Walkman type casette players, because it is small, reliable, has no moving parts, and draws little current. Second, as technology improves, the price will come down to more affordable levels. This would not exclude a CD player for many of the same applications, at a lower price. The MMC merely opens up a new market. Third, the MMC card (or possibly the compact flash as well) can be used for digital voice recording where it is desired to convert the voice to a word processing file. News reporting as well as court testimony are possible applications. There are already a few devices that allow one to convert a digital voice recording to a wp file, using software such as "Via Voice." This seems to me to be evidence of a growing market. If people are satisfied with a CD instead of MMC for car players, that's fine with me, because there are so many other applications where the MMC is clearly superior. Art

To: Steve 667 who wrote (13503)	8/2/2000 10:21:35 PM
From: The Prophet	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 60323

Your post is interesting in that you are repeating a mantra that was chanted when the transistor was first conceived. Substitute the word transistor for the word MMC or flash, and substitute the word vacuum tube for the word CD and you have the old version of your mantra. My friend Robert Zimmerman would have explained it as follows: "Better get out of the new road if you can't lend a hand, 'cause the times, they are a changin..."

To: Steve 667 who wrote (13503)	8/2/2000 11:00:17 PM
From: Ausdauer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 60323

Steve, You got a cool post today! Thanks for bringing attention to the thread (even though the post itself casts a shadow of doubt on SanDisk). The cost structure for flash isn't here yet for the MP3 market. That is your point and it is well taken. I use a 128 MB CompactFlash in my Cassiopeia. The card costs about half of what the device cost me a year ago. It suffices for everday use. In fact, it is probably overkill. But it would be too small for a long trip. A 500 MB MMC would be a better choice. That is still a few years away. I did want to say a few things about CF and MMC. Flash devices are smaller, more energy efficient and more rugged than CD players. This is particulary advantageous if you want to work out or jog with the device. Flash devices are also cool. In the end they will win out because their cool. Don't underestimate the power of cool. In a few years portable CD players and cassette Walkmen will be uncool. Ausdauer