Abstract

Optical data storage has developed as an industry over the last several years. Starting with large form factor write-once products in the early eighties and more recently evolving to small form factor rewritable products, it has "proven to be an attractive alternative to other storage technologies in the areas of automated libraries for nearline storage and as a workstation peripheral. The principal advantage of optical storage is its relatively high storage capacity on a removable disk. Furthermore, a single optical device can support multiple media types which allows it to provide multiple functions to the user. The relative penetration of optical recording within the storage hierarchy will critically depend on the pace of improvement in the technology that reduces the cost/byte stored, while improving device performance and maintaining removability and functional advantages.

© 1991 Optical Society of America