GM> GM>Can anyone claim that sort of life for a CD-ROM?

GM> JE> Nope, no way! they haven't been around that long! :_)

GM>Usually the testers conducted accelerated life tests.

GM>I know this is done on a lot of solid state stuff, usually
GM>heat/cold cycling, and are able to predict pretty accurately what
GM>the mean life is going to be.

GM>With CD-ROMs this either hasn't been done -- which seems too
GM>strange to be true -- or the results are so terrible that they
GM>won't release them.

GM> GM>Or will anyone still have a CD-ROM drive in 40 years? And the
GM> GM>software to read the data?

GM> JE> Very doubtful.

GM>My thoughts exactly.

GM>OTOH I saw a movie the other day that had been resurrected from a
GM>very damaged print dating from 1932.

GM>Apart from some gaps where the backing material (nitrocellulose
GM>most likely) had totally collapsed, the rest was surprisingly
GM>good quality, including the sound.

GM>So there is at least one medium that has a fairly high data
GM>density, that shows a relatively long life with reasonable care.
GM>I predict that some of the modern b/w movies prints on mylar base
GM>will still be around in 100 years, and so will projection
GM>equipment for them.

I'll be sure to fill you in.  :-(


GM>It's a pity that I won't be there to see if I'm right 

GM>From Greg Mayman, in beautiful Adelaide, South Australia
GM>   "Queen City of The South"    34:55 S  138:36 E


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 þ OLXWin 1.00a þ The young know the rules;The old know the exceptions.