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 : Ampex Corporation (AEXCA) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sal Davis who wrote (1208)	11/10/1997 2:37:00 PM
From: WAI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17679

Sal and all, The GMR head technology is separate from KM. It is merely (?!) the next generation in head technology that allows the head to read a smaller area on the platter. KM should, as far as my understanding goes, allow the bits to be packed more closely on the platter, regardless of the head technology employed. Whether it is economically beneficial to do so we will see. I wondered also about the reaction to Bramson's purchase. Could someone who is familiar with insider trading rules tell us what this purchase implies about the timing of the next announcement? For example, I would assume that if there were going to be a big contract announcement tomorrow, then he couldn't have bought last week, right? William

To: Sal Davis who wrote (1208)	11/10/1997 4:36:00 PM
From: WAI	Respond to of 17679

Sal, Sorry I wasn't clear earlier. Of course GMR could be implemented with or without KM. I have not seen anything to indicate one way or another which IBM did (as you said). I think that any advances that push head technology closer to the ~10Gb/in^2 limit of thermal stability are good for KM. This will essentially force platter manufacturers to incorporate KM. Sorry also if I insulted your intelligence. Cheers, William

To: Sal Davis who wrote (1208)	11/10/1997 4:43:00 PM
From: Bruce Bacon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17679

If you work your way a bit further into the IBM site there is some more detail here: research.ibm.com I am not sure what to make of it (gus, jubimer?) but at first pass to my untrained eyes it seems like no KM in this one. I also found it interesting that they are going to start building them now... I would guess it should have the other drive makers scrambling big time. Perhaps they will run to Ampex ?? In either case, taken at face value, it seems the world of disk drives is about to evolve. The KM clock is ticking... seems we should have a pretty good idea if KM is going to cook or fizzle within the next 6 months or so. Bruce

To: Sal Davis who wrote (1208)	11/10/1997 7:11:00 PM
From: Hal Campbell	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17679

Couple points. Has always taken a few days for news of a form four purchase to filter out to the street. If I recall it took the better part of a week last November. We do have a trading edge there. From my reading of the form - and please correct me if I am mistaken - Bramson again....as he did a year ago .....bought the shares directly from the company. When that is the case, no insider regs apply, because he is buying from other insiders. That is not to say that I assume a new deal is on the horizon - rather I just assume that the stock looks cheap to him at these prices. And I certainly assume the company is on - as we knew- very firm financial footing for the forseeable future. It has been abundantly clear that the drive makers had the tech on hand to meet their roadmap for some time. But KM will continue to offer its inexpensive margin expansion and capacity enhancement for as long as the present format survives,. Will just take a couple companies using that edge and being successful with it for KM use to start being imitated. That may begin to happen in the first quarter of next year - the unknown drivemaker testing samples - or it may happen later...or it may ....though this makes little sense to me .....not happen at all. The clock is not really ticking on KM so much as it is perhaps ticking off opportunity cost on our investment. I , for one,I still don't think it is a time bomb. And consider both a trading buy and a long term buy at these levels and below. Despite all announcements of other advances.