Holographic storage ships next month!
Posted by Robin Harris @ 2:47 pm
Even since astronaut Frank Bowman disconnected the HAL 9000’s holographic memory in 2001: A Space Odyssey techies have been wondering when we could buy real holographic storage. Now we know: May, 2008.
Promising super-high density and excellent media flaw resistance, holographic storage has been an ever-receeding technology for years. You can buy nifty 3D skull and crossbones holograms - technically a form of storage - but no one had figured out how to turn a lab project into a product. Until now....
They’ve spec’d the optical media they use - a 5.25″ clear disk in a cartridge - at 50 years. For film and video companies whose data is literally irreplaceable a stable, compact and random access medium is a no-brainer.
It is that value that justifies a price - $18,000 - that will keep most of us from buying ourselves an early Xmas gift. The quantity 1 media price of $180 for 300 GB looks expensive to us, but quite reasonable compared with the cost of 35mm film stock and long-term storage.
15 years ago a 3x CD reader cost a few hundred dollars. Perhaps in 15 years holographic burners will be $50 and the media less than a $1.
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