GE Introduces 500GB Holographic Disks

bheer writes "According to the NYTimes, at a conference next month, GE will debut their new holographic storage breakthrough — 500GB disks that will cost 10 cents a GB to produce at launch. GE will first focus on selling the technology to commercial markets like movie studios and hospitals, but selling to the broader corporate and consumer market is the larger goal."

Comments

I Could Be Really Excited About This--Maybe

[eldavojohn]

"This could be the next generation of low-cost storage," said Richard Doherty, an analyst at Envisioneering, a technology research firm.

The G.E. development, however, could be that pioneering step, according to analysts and experts.

So a player that could read microholographic storage discs could also read CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. But holographic discs, with the technology G.E. has attained, could hold 500 gigabytes of data.

You guys remember that cool new technology that was going to revolutionize the way we store data? The one that was just 11 years away? Well we could be one year closer to that realization today perhaps maybe.

People that know more than you and might even be experts possibly speculated that this might be a reality within some amount of time. It brings me great joy to announce to you that now we're maybe in the ballpark. You yourself have the chance to be alive when this thing hits. And it could be big.

Perhaps tomorrow it will be in my computer or the fabrication process might not ever be cheaply implemented and then we could wait longer than five years possibly. "It's so tantalizingly exciting but still just over that next hill we think," is what I said last year and now look. I may have been correct or at least within one standard deviation of time for this product.

This is exciting to the point that I very well may scream. I think now is the time to possibly ask yourself: are you ready for what might turn into something big? Because it could be around the corner.

Re:I Could Be Really Excited About This--Maybe

[jd]

Did you know, statistically it is possible that every molecule in your body will spontaneously relocate itself to the moon? This COULD happen!

Re:I Could Be Really Excited About This--Maybe

[Profane MuthaFucka]

Bullshit. It's more likely that they'll relocate to a NASA sound stage.

Re:I Could Be Really Excited About This--Maybe

[maxume]

They sell ecomagination!

Not good enough.

[Hatta]

$0.10/gb * 500 GB = $50. I can buy a 1 TB hard drive for around $80. Why would I use this stuff?

Re:Not good enough.

[Spazztastic]

$0.10/gb * 500 GB = $50. I can buy a 1 TB hard drive for around $80. Why would I use this stuff?

Because it's holographic!

Re:Not good enough.

[BigGar']

It appears that they are referring to a CD or DVD like product not a hard drive.
From the article:
 
In G.E.â(TM)s approach, the holograms are scattered across a disc in a way that is similar to the formats used in todayâ(TM)s CDs, conventional DVDs and Blu-ray discs. So a player that could read microholographic storage discs could also read CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. But holographic discs, with the technology G.E. has attained, could hold 500 gigabytes of data. Blu-ray is available in 25-gigabyte and 50-gigabyte discs, and a standard DVD holds 5 gigabytes.

Re:Not good enough.

[HasselhoffThePaladin]

Can we please come up with a better term than ED to describe how superawesome our TV sets are?

Re:Not good enough.

[pete-classic]

It's what your data needs!

-Peter

Hard drives are cheaper now.

[jumpingfred]

1 terra byte drives cost around $100. That is 10 cents a gig at retail. So they cost less than 10 cents a gig to manufacture.