On 05-15-97, CHRISTER SOLSTRAND said to JEFF GUERDAT:
JG> The newer drives are now implementing packetized writing,
JG> meaning the writer can stop and start, much reducing the age-old
JG> buffer underruns that plague normal CD writing. However, older CD
JG> drives won't read the packetized CDs so upgrading those would be
JG> necessary.
CS>I see. But most CD-ROM drives manufactured after 1996 should ba able to
CS>read packeticized CDs, right?
Wouldn't bet on it - I'd check first if it's important.
JG> The speed/time to fill a CD would be a fuction of the writing
JG> speed - 2x is the standard for low-end (~$500 U.S.) writers.
CS>Aren't there faster writers? Or are the CD's they write too incompatible
CS>with most CD-readers on the market today? Or are they just too expensive
CS>for most people? I have seen some ads here in Norway for 6-speed writers,
CS>and they are well over NOK 7000 (~US$ 1000).
Well over, indeed.  The last time I heard, the Kodak PCD600 was list price of
about $15000 US.  That may have changed but it'd still be damned expensive 
or
most people/companies to buy (I work for Kodak, until a year ago for the
high-speed CD writer project so I'd like it to sell better but the writer is
aimed at the commercial market - next generation is aimed at lower cost and
5.25" form factor as well as faster throughput).  The low-cost ones are
catching up but nobody's sitting still - it's electronic warfare...
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