New Standard 'iVDR' for Removable HDD Launched

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf/CID/onair/asabt/news/310172' target='_blank'>http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf/CID/onair/asabt/news/310172</a><br /><br /></div>" I-O Data Device Inc recently released the "USB2-iVDR-20," a removable hard disk drive (HDD), the first product based on the Information Versatile Disk for Removable usage (iVDR) standard established in March 2002. The iVDR promoting consortium is formed by 40 firms, including HDD makers such as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Ltd and Fujitsu Ltd, in addition to I-O Data, Sanyo Electric Co, Ltd, Sharp Corp and Toyota Motor Corp."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/iVDR.jpg" /><br /><br />Another "standard". :roll: In my little brain, I always thought of a standard as something that everyone agreed on. Microsoft Word Document, Adobe Acrobat, MP3, JPEG, TCP/IP all are standards that people all agree upon. Well here comes iVDR (its actually been out for a couple years, but hey what hasn't). iVDR stands for "Information Versatile Disk for Removable usage" and looks like one of those old 8mm Exabyte tapes we all used to use years ago. The big question I have is WHY? "According to Sanyo Electric, it has a merit compared with other recording media in that it does not need to change the format even when its storage capacity is enlarged." Hmm, since when has this ever been trouble for consumers? Formats change all the time and none of us have been bitten (well other than Jason an his <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=41699&sid=a6450278e2b3c8d35ada2b1d10fa26ae">undying support</a> of WMA9) by a format not being supported. Formats changing is what makes the IT economy work. <br /><br />I guess the two questions we all need to ask ourselves is why do we need a 20 GB portable hard drive reader in our cars and what will Iomega <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5334">do about</a> this (OK, I know you weren't thinking about the second question)? The example given by the stakeholders in the "standard" is "users can download map information into the removable HDD via a PC, and then check the information by inserting the HDD into a car navigation system". That must be a big map to need such a large hard drive.<br /><br />Just another "standard" looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

[entropy1980]

I disagree about your statement about MS Word or even Adobe PDF as being standards... they are a sort of de facto standard, a standard that is there no because a group of people got together and decided this is best for people but because "everyone" just uses them.True standards I would say are intellectual properties that are controlled by think tank type places such as IEEE not for by a singular profit corporations..... aside from that I agree this is just another solution for a non-issue.. :D

[James Fee]

they are a sort of de facto standard, a standard that is there no because a group of people got together and decided this is best for people but because "everyone" just uses them.
OK, I see your point, but a standard is a standard, even if they don't have my blessing. ;)

[David Prahl]

Just another "standard" looking for a problem that doesn't exist.

I agree! Thanks for standing up and asking "hey, don't we already have mass removable storage?".

[Pony99CA]

they are a sort of de facto standard, a standard that is there no because a group of people got together and decided this is best for people but because "everyone" just uses them.
OK, I see your point, but a standard is a standard, even if they don't have my blessing. ;)
I agree with Entropy -- Word files and PDFs are proprietary formats that have become commonly used (aka "de facto standards"). There is no standards body that controls them that I'm aware of.

In fact, Word files could be viewed as a bad example. While there wasn't really a good portable document format like the PDF when Adobe created it, I think that there were plenty of word processor formats before Word came out.

I believe that JPEG, MP3 and TCP/IP were collaborated on by many companies and have organizations dedicated to their devleopment. They are true standards.

However, I do agree with the larger point -- we have too many proprietary formats. The Sony PSP will use a new media format, the Universal Media Disc (UMD). Does anybody else find it ironic that the "universal" disc won't work with anything else? (OK, maybe future Sony devices will use it, like Memory Stick. :roll:)

Steve

[James Fee]

I agree with Entropy -- Word files and PDFs are proprietary formats that have become commonly used (aka "de facto standards"). There is no standards body that controls them that I'm aware of.
OK we are getting into the weeds here. Many standards bodies agree Word files and PDFs are standards. For every format there is, you can bet there is a standard body that supports it. You can rest tonight knowing that there is some standard body that Microsoft has paid off, I mean donated servers to.
However, I do agree with the larger point -- we have too many proprietary formats. The Sony PSP will use a new media format, the Universal Media Disc (UMD). Does anybody else find it ironic that the "universal" disc won't work with anything else? (OK, maybe future Sony devices will use it, like Memory Stick. :roll: )
Well Sony got lucky with the CD, but other than that they have to be forced to use an agreed upon standard. Even when they support a common format they have to screw it up.

[Pony99CA]

However, I do agree with the larger point -- we have too many proprietary formats. The Sony PSP will use a new media format, the Universal Media Disc (UMD). Does anybody else find it ironic that the "universal" disc won't work with anything else? (OK, maybe future Sony devices will use it, like Memory Stick. :roll: )
Well Sony got lucky with the CD, but other than that they have to be forced to use an agreed upon standard. Even when they support a common format they have to screw it up.
Actually, I wouldn't give Sony total credit for the CD. Most sources I've seen say the CD was invented by Philips and Sony. When the debate over copy-protected CDs was in the news, Philips was talking about not allowing companies to use the CD logo.

Steve

[James Fee]

Actually, I wouldn't give Sony total credit for the CD.
Oh believe me I won't. You can also be sure that if they had done it themselves, the would have screwed it up.