"Eric Woudenberg, Minidisc.org Editor" wrote:
> lLarry, the "occasional" new unit!? The MD market is practically on
> fire right now, everywhere but in the US. Here, every year, we get
> just the top sellers from Japan.
Rick, when I made that statement I was referring to the US. Perhaps I should have
made that clear. Most people on our list realize that Md is still very hot in other
parts of the world.
But is Md really on fire in say, Japan, like it was about 3 years ago? If I read the
posts correctly Aiwa has discontinued MD, not just in the US but in Japan too. Isn't
that correct? Aiwa was a MAJOR supporter of MD.
There relatively inexpensive mini systems had both TOSlink outputs and an MD source
input. These same units no longer had a phono input. As you know phono requires a
special preamp section. You can plug an MD line out into a tape, Aux or even VCR's
audio inputs. But not phono.
I was so impressed to find the MD source on the mode selector of the Aiwa mini system
I bought for my daughter about 3 years ago. The TOSlink out made me even happier.
While I'm kind of on the fence about the sound quality of my Aiwa F80, I found many
of the innovations super (backlit controls on the unit itself for one).
> No, the Rio et al. is being fed by the the free MP3/Internet boom, and
> the astounding price of solid state memory keeps it at bay. If quick
> and easy high speed downloading to MD were available, it would put a
> dent in solid state's stride. (Maybe just a dent -- eventually solid
> state will be cheap enough to be compelling for audio, but not yet).
I still don't understand why an MD recorder can't contain additional electronics to
allow it to copy MP3 files from a computer. Would the cost be too prohibitive?
> VHS is much less complex to manufacture. Consider that flash memory is
> made in billion dollar IC fabrication facilities.
>
I'm not 100% sure that it requires billion dollar facilities to make flash memory.
Many of my patients work for what used to be RCA's solid state factory which is
minutes away from my office. I'm referring to engineers and chemists. I've got to
start asking if any of them know what would be involved in producing flash memory.
I'm sure that there facilities a worth millions of dollars, but not billions. If
they can make wafers that allow your car to run, i'm I'd guess that they could treat
the wafers to be flash memory. Although I freely admit that I still don't have a
clue how you can treat a piece of silicone with chemicals so that it will produce a
module capable of being the equivalent of a circuit board will millions of
transistors on it.
BTW RCA Semi conductor bought by GE who sold it to the Harris Corp. who sold it to a
group of inventors that called it Intersil. That lasted only a couple of years and
they are now owned by Fairchild!
Larry
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