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

To: scott who wrote (1319)	11/5/1997 10:35:00 PM
From: Rex Dwyer	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 60323

I'm back from the conference... Answers to questions: Q: "Will SNDK split because of low float?" A: Who knows? I think the secondary will take care of some of that. I really don't think it matters unless we are about to sell the stock, then it gives the stock a little kicker... Q(JOE): SEG owns 25% or 20%?? A: 25%. Q(Michael G):"I'd like to see them show a prototype cell phone/e-mail/computer at the press conference, a la the phone in the movie 'The Saint'" A: They did. This product already exists, but without the new MultiMediaCard or CompactFlash. Check out the Nokia 9000. The Nokia representative had one that I played with. Actually, I've used Gordon Mayer's Nokia 9000 once before. He's the president of GeoWorks (GWRX). The Nokia people seemed to be the most ready to use the MMC. Smart phones are really the target market for the new MMC. Q: (Jim) Can anyone decipher the differences in applications for the chip that SanDisk will sell verses the ROM version that Siemens will sell? A:You may buy a "Phone Book, city map, restaurant/business guide" on a Siemens ROM MMC, but you'll want to store your email messages and your voice mail messages on a SanDisk MMC. I saw a mock up of a phone that had two MMC slots in it. Yes, there is room for two slots in a SMALL cell phone. Q: (scott) can you shed a little light on one cautionary comment out of Rex's and Jerome's report. Embedded Markets: SanDisk is not winning in the embedded flash markets." A: Ask Jerome, that was his observation. Q: (scott) Is this the ROM that is being "farmed out" to Siemans? A: No. Siemens is making their own thing through their own channels. It happens to be the same format as SanDisk's. Rex

To: scott who wrote (1319)	11/5/1997 10:41:00 PM
From: Rex Dwyer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 60323

* News Conference notes* I have the whole press kit, so if anyone has any more questions, fire away. The PCMCIA Type II flash disk was introduced in 1992 The CompactFlash in 1994. Now the MultiMediaCard in 1997. So, this is a long term item. However, I think that we should see faster adoption of this format than we saw for the CompactFlash. This is because the applications involving smartphones need them now. This is a serial interface with 7 pads. It is still a DOS/Windows file structure. It is upward, backward, and sideways compatible with everything else. There is an MMC to CF adapter and an MMC to Type II adapter, as well as an MMC to serial converter and an MMC to USB converter. Bus speeds up to 20 MHz. Applications: Receive Faxes Receive and store entire e-mail messages. Mobile Internet access enabler. Store Voice mail. Hold software applications. Announcements 1) FIRST MOBILE PHONES EXPECTED IN 1998. 2) MMC Association to be formed in 1Q98. 3) Additional OEMs to be announced. 4) Significant product announcements that use MMC in 1H98. 5) Hardware and software support available. 6) All sizes are sampling in 1Q98, all sizes to be shipping in 2Q98. 7) Prices: 2MB $26, 4MB $32, 8 MB $43, and 10 MB $45. Rex

To: scott who wrote (1319)	11/6/1997 1:44:00 AM
From: scott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 60323

To all FYI (from email), My name is Mike Winn, a regular member of SI, and I have posted several times on the SNDK thread. My account at SI is currently suspended for some personal reasons and I can't post on SI. To answer to your question, embedded systems are standalone microprocessor-based systems used to control a device, or a machine. Examples: flight control boxes on airplane, flight control on space station, engine control in your car, motor control in saw-mill, etc. Most embedded systems use EEPROM to store the software, because the software does not have to be updated very often. To change the software in the EEPROM, you have to remove the EEPROM chip off the board, erase its content using ultraviolet light, and then reprogram it using a PROM programmer. It's time consuming but EEPROM is cheaper than flash. Nowadays, embedded systems which have means of communications to the external world (via serial port, LAN, etc.) sometimes used flash to store the program. The software can now be updated on the fly without having to remove the box. Flash used for embedded systems does not have to adhere with any standard, unlike consumer products such as digital cameras, cell phones, ... because the engineers who design the boards are involved in putting the flash chip on the circuit board. Embedded system is a smaller market compared to consumer market such as digital cam, cell phones, pagers, ... Sandisk is not dominating in the embedded system market. Other players are Intel, Micron, AMD, Smart Modular, etc. Hope this help. Mike Winn.