08-02-2006, 11:00 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,097
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Holographic Storage Working, On Track for Xmas
"The first holographic storage media will begin shipping by Christmas, executives at media maker Hitachi Maxell have indicated... Holographic storage uses a patented two-chemistry Tapestry photopolymer write-once material. The recording material is 1.5 mm thick and is sandwiched between two 130 mm diameter transmissive plastic substrates. Last year, InPhase indicated that the first incarnation of the InPhase technology would be used for archival purposes, and D'Ambrise indicated that that will still be the case: media will be roughly $120 to $180 apiece, and drives will cost about $15,000... While the company is focusing on the lucrative enterprise storage market, Hitachi Maxell is also exploring more conventional storage options. The storage capacity of the technology is governed by the spot size of the laser, and a 100-Gbyte or 75-Gbyte consumer version could theoretically be created in the size of a postage stamp, D'Ambrise said."
Holographic storage has been a dream of Sci-fi writers from pretty much the time digital storage was invented. The advantages of holographic are immense over current conventional storage methods. 100GB in the size of a postage stamp? Stick that in your Pocket PC! A 100TB holographic 'hard drive' for my computer would sure be nice too. :wink: While they're saying we might see some applications by the end of the year, the technology's been in development for a very long time, so if there's an additional delay, I will certainly forgive them. So... Excited? Come on, you could store the entire library of congress, movies included, on the crystal pictured above... 
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