OSTA CLARIFIES CD-R/CD-RW USAGE -
ISSUES GUIDE OUTLINING BEST DRIVE AND MEDIA
COMBINATIONS FOR DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS

Guide Endorsed by Manufacturers for Product Packaging and Point-of-Sale Displays

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 6, 1998 - Retail packaging and point-of-sale displays for CD-R and CD-RW devices and media are about to become more helpful to the consumer. Today, the Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) released a CD-R/CD-RW drive and media usage guide designed specifically for use on packaging by optical drive and media manufacturers and by retailers for point-of-sale displays. The chart illustrates which CD-R and CD-RW drive and media combinations are best for a wide variety of tasks. In addition, the usage guide highlights the role of MultiRead compliance and clarifies disc playback compatibility of CD-R and CD-RW media.

Fourteen optical product manufacturers have endorsed the new OSTA guide, including: Adaptec, CeQuadrat, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Maxoptix, Micro Design International (MDI), OpenDisc, Pegasus Disk Technologies, Philips Electronics, Plasmon, Smart & Friendly, Taiyo Yuden, TDK Electronics and Verbatim Corporation.

Many users and retailers have sought guidance as to which combinations of drive and media to use in different situations. The CD-R/CD-RW chart addresses these concerns by suggesting which types of media are best suited for such tasks as backup, publishing, audio production, file sharing, reusable storage or long-term archiving. Media and drive costs are factored into the usage recommendations, as are long-term ownership costs. CD-R discs are typically selected for low cost and readability on more than 150 million drives worldwide. The reusability of CD-RW discs is appealing for short-term storage, such as backup, but MultiRead drives are required in order to read them.

"The features and uses chart is part of OSTA's continued work on behalf of the consumer," said Steve Hammond, vice president of marketing at Micro Design International and chairman of OSTA's Market Development Committee. "The UDF file system and the MultiRead specification--both products of OSTA--created industry-wide compatibility in the CD/DVD industry. Without these OSTA agreements, consumers would be faced with numerous proprietary optical platforms. The two specifications, now reinforced by the usage guide, make clear OSTA's commitment to give priority to consumers' needs."

Further information regarding the CD-R/CD-RW usage guide is available at no cost to manufacturers and retail outlets via the OSTA Web site at www.osta.org.

OSTA Background

The Optical Storage Technology Association (OSTA) was incorporated as an international trade association in 1992 to promote the use of writable optical technologies and products for storage of computer data. The organization's membership includes optical product manufacturers and resellers from three continents, representing more than 80 percent of worldwide writable optical product shipments. They work to shape the future of the industry through regular meetings of CD/DVD, file interchange, market development,

magneto-optical and planning committees. Interested companies worldwide are invited to join the organization and participate in its programs by contacting an OSTA representative at 805/963-3853 or by addressing its Web site at http://www.osta.org.

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