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

To: Binx Bolling who wrote (5711)	5/14/1999 9:29:00 AM
From: Ausdauer	Respond to of 60323

Binx, First, I don't believe the purpose of the CFA is to do any PR for CompactFlash as a medium, but to serve as a central governing body for approval of new products or companies planning to utilize CFA (or the CFA emblem) and to delineate the specifications for CFA qualification. For example, Lexar may petition the CFA to include a USB standard. Second, I don't believe the CFA could afford to advertise even if they wanted to. Third, I don't believe that SanDisk employees or any employees of any publicly owned company are allowed to post on message boards. As I said yesterday, Eli's plan to use major corporate endorsements like those from Kodak, Nikon, RCA, Casio and the like has merit. I certainly would favor more publicity via those channels (a box front insignia acknowledging SanDisk ("SanDisk Inside"), a mention of SanDisk in the user's manual regarding memory upgrades, a gift certificate in a product box for a discount on an ImageMate purchase from SanDisk, a generic guide/flyer/pamphlet on the use of CF cards in consumer electronics products,...). Also, some ignoramus at Ritz camera told me that the Epson camera I bought used "smart cards" for removable memory. When I asked about upgrades he told me it was as thin as a credit card and that they sold them at Ritz. He then showed me a SmartMedia card. I was really hot under the collar at that point. The retailers could do a lot more educating of sales people when it comes time for Joe Consumer to plunk down $400 or $600 or $800 or $1000 for a new digital camera. How about warning people about forward compatibility problems with SmartMedia? How about plugging the advantages of CompactFlash's portability between devices/platforms such as PDA's, mp3 players and the like? Don't retailers have a duty to serve their consumers in the best possible manner? Ausdauer

To: Binx Bolling who wrote (5711)	5/14/1999 9:43:00 AM
From: Ausdauer	Respond to of 60323

Binx, This would be a phenomenal PR tool. Kodak announces the newest line of its film for the millennium!!! Kodachrome DX, the first digital film solution from Kodak or Millennia CF or Kodapixel Royal Gold or Kodak Digita CF or something like that... Then get them to do something really unbelievable, like have enough faith in SanDisk as a supplier to just dump Lexar. (Sorry, that would probably require guts and integrity. I may just be asking too much.) Maybe they are just waiting for Polaroid to come in and do it for them. Ausdauer

To: Binx Bolling who wrote (5711)	5/14/1999 7:17:00 PM
From: Ausdauer	Respond to of 60323

Binx and Thread, Sunnyvale, part IV "Megamarkets" Shareholders became aware that SanDisk currently has a diverse market composed of several megamarkets. Dr. Harari divided these into two major subgroups; consumer electronics and industry applications. The consumer megamarkets may comprise 2/3rds of SanDisks revenues and include digital cameras, net TV and set top boxes, mp3 and digital video camcorders. Notably absent from the group is the PDA market. Eli does not feel this currently consitutes a megamarket, however the newer breeds of PDA such as the Casio E-100 and E-105 will change the face of palm computing with color LCD screens. (I have already harped on this subjet previously. Personally, once the Palm Pilot devotees learn of the beauty of color screens there may be no turning back!) There was mention of a VGA quality movie being feasible which could be viewed from a CF card at a cost of 32 MB per hour of video. That is simply awesome. Eli listed companies (OEM's) which fall into each of these markets The industrial applications make up the other 1/3rd of revenues from flash memory sales and include such items as network routers, infrastructure base stations (wireless applications), Network PC's and SmartPhones. Eli listed a variety of heavy hitters (current or potential customers) that fall into each of these categories. Companies such as Cisco and Ericsson. Dr. Harari pointed out that SanDisk's success will be based on a diversity of megamarkets. He also stated emphatically that the company is focused on achieving the lowest cost, highest reliability product line with core flash architecture. Ausdauer

To: Binx Bolling who wrote (5711)	5/15/1999 9:38:00 AM
From: Ausdauer	Respond to of 60323

Binx and thread, I am pleased with this month's Handheld PC Magazine ( hpcmag.com ) as SanDisk has a two page feature on pages 22 and 23 outlining its use in handheld Windows CE devices. There are also color photographs of SanDisk CF cards. The author is familiar with the PC memory cards that SunDisk originally manufactured for laptop computing, so there is definitely some history behind the endorsement. It is clear that SNDK's commitment to reliability will pay dividends by attracting repeat users. This is particularly true in the mobile computing arena, but may not be a factor for digital cameras. The issue I am mentioning (May and June, 1999) also highlights two SanDisk products as the "Top Ten Hardware Accessories" including the number 1 pick; flash memory storage cards, and the number 8 pick; SanDisk ImageMate. It is hard to be upset with free advertising. hpcmag.com Ausdauer

To: Binx Bolling who wrote (5711)	5/17/1999 6:13:00 PM
From: Ausdauer	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 60323

Binx, I was lying awake losing sleep the other night trying to figure out inexpensive marketing tricks. By nature I am a tightwad, so I fulfill all the pre-requisites for this position. TRICK #1 I would offer a training course for the young clerks at Best Buy and Ritz and other retail outlets. They can spend about 15 minutes on-line following a tutorial on the SanDisk website. At the end they take an on-line exam and if they get enough correct answers they get a pin in the shape of a SanDisk CF card that they can wear on the job. It has a SanDisk logo and states "SanDisk Certified" or something like that. They also get a free 8 or 16 MB CF card for completing the tutorial successfully. You end up with a trained employee ready to sell CF cards to the public (who are thoroughly confused by the displays offering products with both CF and SmartMedia media). TRICK #2 If any store location has 3 or more "SanDisk Certified" employees they become a "licensed SanDisk dealer" or "Exclusive SanDisk Retailer" or something like that and the store manager gets a 32 MB CF card and a swift kick in the pants for not knowing more about CompactFlash in the first place. The site also gets a SanDisk decal (the kind made out of transparent plastic that sticks well to glass or just a plain permanent decal or a plexiglass plate that hangs over the edge of the counter) to be proudly and prominently displayed in the digital camera section. If the manager tries to remove the signage he gets two more swift kicks in the pants. TRICK #3 Give all of the retail clerks under age 20 a free skateboard with a SanDisk logo on the top and bottom. Ausdauer