From: rick@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu (Richard Warner)
Subject: Re: CD ROM: Cheers and Jeers
Organization: San Jose State University - Math/CS Dept.
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 17:14:27 GMT

jfreter@triton.unm.edu (The Myth) writes:

>In article <1992Aug18.222203.9593@access.usask.ca> lowey@jester.usask.ca writes:
>>
>>I also am thrilled about the use of CD-ROMS as a distribution method.
>>I think it is long overdue.  Unfortunately, I do NOT have a CD-ROM, so
>>I cannot get the NT alpha.

>I also think that it is a good idea to install from one ROM vs. from many
>disks.  I routinely backup my original floppies, make them read-only, then
>install.  Microsoft's use of CD-ROMS has eliminated my need for this.  
>Unfortunately, like many of you here in this group, I have no CD ROM.  But,
>I intend to get one when I buy a 486 DX/33 that is priced under $1500
>(read that as real soon now).  I also intend to add the multi-media capa-
>bilities to this machine, too.  Multi-media has the potential to be the
>greatest learning tool since Gutenberg invented the printing press.  The
>only question is "will it?"

>Since I want to have the multi-media for games, education, and other uses,
>why not buy *ONE* CD to install an entire OS instead of 10, 20, or more
>floppies to install the same OS?

I, too, believe that a good mass-storage device like a CD-ROM is good
for software distribution.  The problem is that the base is not there
for this type of distribution, yet (at least on PC-compatibles and Macs).
A diskette drive costs $59, a good CD-ROM drive costs >$500 (if you are
going to buy one, makes sense to a new technology drive; the older ones,
including the one MS is selling for $450 are not XA ready, and do not
read multiple-write CDs [CD's written in >1 pass; new stuff that will be
important in the future of multi-media]).  So MS is asking folks to
pay an extra $450 or so in order to save MS some money, and then to help
MS make money by making NT more attractive.  

There are a couple of mid-ground solutions.  Distribute the developers
kit on floppies, but give a rebate to folks who recycle them (send them
back to MS).  Put out updates as patch disks, like the CSD disks
IBM uses for OS/2 (fewer diskettes).  Another solution is to use a 
different mass storage medium, one that is more common in the developer
community - tape drives (they need them to backup those monstrous disk
drives).

One of the problems here is the way MS handled (mis-handled) this.  Sun,
which is also pushing the CD medium, did it a bit better.  Sun started
warning folks 2-3 years ago that it would switch to a CD only distribution.
Then they made CD-ROMs low-cost add-ons to packages.  With pricing
incentives and 2-3 years to prepare, most Sun sites were ready for the
CD only release of Solaris 2.0 for SPARC.  MS should have given more
advanced warning, and then prepared the community with attractively
priced CD-ROM drives (again, the one currently offered by MS is not
current technology and is a bit over-priced for the generation of drives
it represents).  If MS had done these steps, they would not be so
vulnerable to criticism.

   Rick Warner (rick@sjsumcs.sjsu.edu)
Newsgroups: comp.os.ms-windows.advocacy,comp.os.os2.advocacy