Flipping discs over may allow 17Gb. 0.6Gb digital cameras store 100 to 150 pictures of 0.002 to 0.004Gb each in size. The magnetic floppy disc in personal computers can manage up to only 0.0014Gb. DVDs were launched in the United States for home entertainment in 1997 and recordable DVDs arrived last year. Some 7 per cent of Australian homes with computers have DVDs.
Electronic books are now available.
Resembling palm-size computers, they can hold 4000 pages of text and graphics or some ten novels. But while many classic texts are free on the Internet, the electronic book users can not down-load them. Bill 1999 may allow the de-compilation of computer programs under certain conditions such as security testing, error correction and making compatible products. This has implications for the copyright protection of data. In the meantime, it has now become possible for music lovers to bypass record stores and down-load recordings from Internet sites.