Getting and using firmware updates from the mfg. is a great thing, if your ROM supports them and such a site exists. I haven't checked Acer's site in a about a year, so maybe they have a newer update for me that will let my CDRW-6202a burn/read the larger format. Many of us have good working ROM drives that do not have flash ROMs onboard. It still comes down to whether the larger format is really justifiable at this point in time.
As for the medium size having anything to do with readability, I have not found this to be the case, so far. I haven't used a 650 MB/74 min. CD-R blank in over a year. Once the price of 700 MB/70 min. CD-R blanks came down to the same price as their predecessor, it made no sense to bother with the other. As long as I burn up to the 650 MB limit, any CD-ROM drive capable of reading CD-Rs only up to that limit have been able to do so. I don't think the medium is a problem for the older drives. I think it is only the amount of data and whether the older drive can read the shallower pitting done by a CD-R versus its commercial counterpart. I agree with your supply/demand rationale. New products are created to improve our ability to do something, with the price to be paid by us in foregoing our old 'stand-by' for the newer stuff. Backward compatibility is becoming a rarer feature than it once was. Profit drives marketing, and it is good marketing sense to put out to the public something so desirable that it makes everyone throw their old away for the the new toy now available to them. I wish that I had the money and justification to throw away all of my computer hardware for the latest and the greatest, every couple of years. I doubt I would if I could; I don't think my conscience and upbringing would allow it. I must be getting old. I am starting to be such a frickin' miser! ;-) Viva la old! If it still breathes, its alive --- in my book. T Charlie wrote: > On Sunday 06 October 2002 08:57 am, et wrote: > >>well, to be honest, I have often found that sitting back and expecting "the >>same" from almost any group works best as far as predicting behavior. as >>long as "the same" is a long record of attempting excellence within the >>realm of "Open Source" and/or "GNU", I see no reason to expect any less. I >>do agree that as far as a powerpack or prosuite, I would hope they could do >>the math over and figure that they have enough space left on the 3rd cd to >>make the first 2 isos down to 650 for the pressed and sale versions. I know >>it would cut into the pool of potential purchasers if the box needs to note >>that it only runs on computers with a CD reader newer than the last 2 >>years. that said, why not redo the ISOs and post a location to find them? > > <snip> > > I'm not sure that "newer than the last 2 years" statement would be accurate in > all cases Ed. Both my CD-ROM and my CD-RW (a Liteon 40x LTN403L, and Mitsumi > CR-4804-TE 4x4x24) are considerably older than 2 years old. Neither has a > problem with larger media; nor have they since I checked for firmware updates > and installed the relevant ones from the manufacturer's sites. That was the > CD-RW, I don't remember doing anything with the Liteon and don't have any > 'notes' in my odds'n'sods directory in my back-up partition about it. There > was a firmware update for the Mitsumi. Two in fact; one specifically to > handle larger media. > > The disks for 8.2 and 9.0beta2 were made with 700 MB blanks (Maxells, which > appear to be made by Ritek) and the disks for Dolphin were made on 90 minute > blanks from a spindle of 50 that I couldn't resist for the price. Seemed a > waste of some space but it worked and full capacity was read by the CD-RW. > The install of 9.0 was a breeze except for no desktop icons; but that was > minor since I get rid of most of them anyway, then add a few of my own > choosing for things I use often. > > BTW have you noticed how difficult it has become to buy 650 MB blanks in the > past few months? The last -RWs I bought were 700 MB. I blame hardware and > peripheral manufacturers a hell of a lot more for this type of trouble than I > ever would the developers for any distribution. The convenience of the end > user is a distant last place in the 'roadmaps' for all manufacturers. If it's > considered at all. If you have a drive that won't read/write larger media > correctly; and that's all you can buy, you'll likely have to buy something > newer won't you? The manufacturers get the cash then, don't they? > > Manufacturers such as HP that don't even attempt to make older drives behave > properly with newer media sizes and types won't get any of my upgrade > dollars. Not that they ever have. :-) > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? > Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com
Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com
