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Bill Gates Says DVDs Have No Future

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004.

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  1. Phantasm66 Newcomer, in training

    Bill Gates, the man who obviously decides everything about computers, has decreed that DVDs shall whither and die, for they have no future as a storage medium.

    "In an article published in the German mass-circulation daily Bild, Gates said DVD technology would be "obsolete in 10 years at the latest."

    "He said the concept of carrying around film and music on little silver discs to stick them into a computer was ridiculous. He moaned that DVDs could get scratched or get lost."
    Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004
    #1

  2. Phantasm66 Newcomer, in training

    "He moaned that DVDs could get scratched or get lost."

    Get lost... what, like the release of XP Service pack 2?
    Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004
    #2

  3. Per Hansson TechSpot Server Guru

    Well, he is right, the DVD format is just crap... CD was great when it got introduced, offering an immense ammount of storage space.

    The same could not be said about DVD when it got introduced... Just a minor increase in storage capacity and that was it...
    Per Hansson, Jul 14, 2004
    #3

  4. nico1606 Newcomer, in training

    Well I'm not sure about minor...

    I mean maybe DVDs dont do much for storage but lets look at
    Xbox, Ps2, DVD videos... I mean without DVDs none of these things wouldn't be possible.
    nico1606, Jul 14, 2004
    #4

  5. Per Hansson TechSpot Server Guru

    nico1606; sure, DVD was an improvment, but such a small one that it will only last a couple of years...

    Compare that with how long the CD has lived!

    When the CD was introduced no-one had so large harddrives in their PC's!!
    Per Hansson, Jul 14, 2004
    #5

  6. nico1606 Newcomer, in training

    Ya good point.
    But do you think the CD was so popular because:

    A. It helped with storage
    B. It helped the music industry get away from 8tracks and 40s.

    I mean what will BIll have us all do..
    Throw out our DVD players?
    nico1606, Jul 14, 2004
    #6

  7. Nic TechSpot Paladin

    Maybe he's been mis-quoted again?

    I prefer DVDs to CDs, but it's a real pity that many movies fill more than a single DVD.

    I wonder what Bill regards as the replacement for DVDs. Maybe he knows something we don't?
    Nic, Jul 14, 2004
    #7

  8. Phantasm66 Newcomer, in training

    I want to be able to copy like 500GB or something onto some kind of rod, or key. Maybe there should be a drive that takes arrays of these keys - like 8 way, 16 way, etc. Perhaps on flash memory. I think I read recently that that will get a lot cheaper.

    yeah, a data rod. That's the future.
    Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004
    #8

  9. nico1606 Newcomer, in training

    Yea that was my next inquiry.

    I mean you can't just get rid of DVD's without replacing it with something.. Maybe those HDTV Tapes that I've read about...

    Personally I love DVDs as well.. More storage, better clarity and sound...what's not to love.

    It might not be extremely usefull on a PC (unless you watch DVDs on it) but I don't think the entertainment industry would agree with Billy.
    nico1606, Jul 14, 2004
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  10. ---agissi--- TechSpot Paladin

    Ok then whats replacing DVDs..
    ---agissi---, Jul 14, 2004
    #10

  11. Julio Franco TechSpot Editor

    DVDs were more of a evolutionary step than a revolutionary... practically were made to replace the CD as a higher-capacity media. I will have to agree that we will need something else in the coming years, now then of course Gates gets to be more radical, more than likely he knows better what future developments will be all about.
    Julio Franco, Jul 14, 2004
    #11

  12. nico1606 Newcomer, in training

    New Age Toaster Ovens.
    nico1606, Jul 14, 2004
    #12

  13. Phantasm66 Newcomer, in training

    Don't you read other people's posts?

    And I KNOW I am right about that, because its not my idea its been on Star Trek.

    So it MUST be true ;)
    Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004
    #13

  14. ---agissi--- TechSpot Paladin

    Um actually yes phant, I did read that, but I dont think we'll have 500GB rods and keys.
    ---agissi---, Jul 14, 2004
    #14

  15. Phantasm66 Newcomer, in training

    What's your theory then....??

    (That's better that Star Trek's, which MUST be true ;) )
    Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004
    #15

  16. Didou Bowtie extraordinair!

    I'm having a hard time taking the person who said "640k of memory would suffice for everyone" seriously.

    I still don't have a DVD burner BTW. Someone feels like offering me one so I can make up my mind ? :D
    Didou, Jul 14, 2004
    #16

  17. Phantasm66 Newcomer, in training

    Take it from me, they are pretty cool.
    Phantasm66, Jul 14, 2004
    #17

  18. nico1606 Newcomer, in training

    Hehe honestly I'm in the same boat as you Didou.

    No DVD Burner...hell I dont even have a dvd player in my one of my machines...because I don't need one.

    I know that might sound like I dont need DVDs....but I do...for other reasons other than for PCs.
    nico1606, Jul 14, 2004
    #18

  19. Rick TechSpot Staff

    Bill Gates is right.

    [size=large]Bill Gates is completely right.[/size]

    I have thought optical & mechnical storage is a joke since its inception and I'm sure many others have too.

    While there are currently no other alternatives - if there were - I am certain they would be adopted very quickly less the sake of compatibility.

    When (if) there comes a time when solid state storage is cheap enough, that would certainly be a suitable replacement.

    Perhaps a holographic medium using glass, plastic or inexpensive crystal would be a good replacement.
    Rick, Jul 14, 2004
    #19

  20. Didou Bowtie extraordinair!

    Or maybe using human skin to store data (I don't think they took that patent out of spite ;) ).

    Fat people will have loads of storage space.:D
    Didou, Jul 14, 2004
    #20
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