While CDs were still fighting for market share against cassettes, and gaming consoles were just starting to switch over to CD from cartridge storage, optical media companies were already thinking ahead. Only two years after the introduction of the original PlayStation, the DVD Forum had introduced the DVD-RAM standard: 2.58 GB per side of a disc in a protective caddy. The killer feature? Essentially unlimited re-writeability. In a DVD drive that supports DVD-RAM, they act more like removable hard drive platters. You can even see hard sectors etched into the media at the time of manufacture, giving DVD-RAM its very recognizable pattern.
At the time, floppy drives were still popular, and CD-ROM drives were increasingly available pre-installed in new computers. Having what amounted to a hard drive platter with a total of 5 GB per disc should have been a killer feature for consumers. Magneto-optical drives were still very expensive, and by 1998 were only 1.3 GB in size. DVD-RAM had the same verify-after-write data integrity feature that magneto-optical drives were known for, but with larger capacity, and after the introduction of 4.7 GB size discs, no caddy was required.
So why didn’t DVD-RAM completely take over removable storage? The gigabyte-size MO drives in 2002 sold for about $400 in 2001 (roughly $721 today), whereas the first 4.7 GB DVD-RAM drives sold in 1998 for $500-$800, with blank discs costing $30 for single-sided and $45 for double-sided, which would have been 9.4 GB total per disc. Around the same time, MO discs with 1.3 GB capacity were often around $20-$25, though they varied widely. So we can see the up-front cost for a DVD-RAM drive was higher, with the media cost per megabyte lower.
Another benefit of DVD-RAM over MO drives was the ability to do hard-drive-like fast random seeks and support various filesystems, allowing non-contiguous data. MO drives were typically quite a bit slower, though they had a decent continuous write speed if writing large blocks of data contiguously. Around this same time, devices like the LS-120 and ZIP drive were trying to replace floppy drives, but their relatively small media sizes of 120 MB / 240 MB and 100 MB / 250 MB couldn’t do the same things DVD could do. Despite this, the Iomega ZIP in particular did have some breakthrough success. This was mostly because of the relatively low drive cost, and the price per 100 MB ZIP disk being $10-$15 on average. These were more expensive per MB than DVD-RAM or MO, but with lower overall consumer investment. So it really seems like the up-front drive costs for DVD-RAM kept them from becoming ubiquitous, though reviews at the time showed that those who bought and used the drives loved them and felt they were an economical way to store and transfer data.
A DVD-RAM disc, with its distinct hard sector pattern clearly visible
DVD-RAM, What’s It Good For?
One of the killer apps for DVD-RAM ended up being Personal Video Recorders, or PVRs. The TiVo introduced consumers to the idea of easy, high-quality timeshifting without having to faff about with the timer feature on their VCRs. A DVD-RAM-based PVR could easily record many shows in high quality, play them back instantly, and be used an essentially unlimited number of times. With the purchase of 3-4 DVD-RAM discs, you could easily record and store your favourite TV shows and later transfer them to another medium for long-term storage. Similarly, DVD-RAM drives in handheld camcorders made a lot of sense, but for various reasons, DVD-RW and some tape formats continued to dominate in that field.
For archival and backup purposes, CD-R, DVD-R and even LTO tape drives were still much more popular. Despite write-once optical media being single-use, the much lower media cost and the rapidly falling price of CD and then DVD burners meant they were much more popular. Many consumers didn’t even realize that their newly purchased DVD burner could almost certainly also support DVD-RAM discs. And for audio and video, write-once media made more sense for the vast majority of end users. Though CD-RW and DVD-RW weren’t quite as popular as the write-once media, they remained more popular than DVD-RAM despite lacking the extreme write endurance of DVD-RAM. It’s hard to say definitively why this is the case, though consumer confusion about all the different blank media formats likely played a part. People were already confused enough about the difference between DVD-R and DVD+R!
Of course, we can’t talk about DVD-RAM’s downfall without mentioning USB flash drives. First introduced commercially around 1999 in sizes of 8 MB, by 2002 drives in the 1 GB – 2 GB capacity were available. These were much smaller and lighter than optical media and had very fast read/write speeds (comparatively) — especially with USB 2.0 becoming popular. Their cost and ubiquity were the death knell not only for DVD-RAM as a portable storage format, but also floppies, magneto-optical, ZIP drives, and essentially everything except for CD-R and DVD-R for audio and movie burning, respectively. While USB drives didn’t have the write endurance of DVD-RAM drives, for most users this wasn’t a problem — they were just transferring office documents, pictures, and other files back and forth between computers. If one started to wear out, another could be cheaply purchased.
So in 2024, is there any use for DVD-RAM left? I recently purchased a pack of 6 brand-new, Japanese-made Panasonic DVD-RAM discs to test out with my USB DVD burner. Essentially all DVD drives still support DVD-RAM, though as Technology Connections discovered in his rundown on the format, the drive firmware support for DVD-RAM seems to be slapdash and lacking in many ways. Write speeds are nowhere near what they should be. On my Arch Linux laptop, I couldn’t believe how slow copy speeds were. iostat showed utilization of less than 1% of the available bandwidth, and with the disc constantly speeding up and spinning down, I was seeing speeds way under 50 kB/s most of the time. Considering DVD-RAM discs support up to 3x (4140 kB/s), something was clearly wrong.
I connected the drive to my Windows 10 virtual machine and saw mostly similar speeds, except when writing an ISO to the drive. Because this seems to be a firmware issue, the usefulness of DVD-RAM for doing backups of important files depends entirely on the drive you happen to own. My idea was to back up all my code, schematic, and PCB design files as they are the most valuable files on my laptop. If I can find a decent drive, I might still follow through — but with 128GB USB drives being less than the cost of the 6 DVD-RAM discs I bought, I can’t say it’s economical, more just for the nerd cred.
While CDs were still fighting for market share against cassettes, and gaming consoles were just starting to switch over to CD from cartridge storage, optical media companies were already thinking …read more
Amazon’s Leadership and Corporate Culture: Lessons from Jeff Bezos
Amazon, one of the most influential and innovative companies in the world, has a corporate culture and leadership philosophy shaped largely by its founder, Jeff Bezos. Bezos’s approach to leadership and his vision for Amazon have set the company apart in the highly competitive tech and retail sectors. This article explores the key elements of Amazon’s leadership and corporate culture, and the lessons that can be drawn from Bezos’s unconventional methods.
The Bezos Leadership Philosophy
Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, and his leadership philosophy has been instrumental in driving the company’s success. Central to Bezos’s approach is a relentless focus on the customer. He famously emphasized, “We’re not competitor obsessed, we’re customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.” This mantra has guided Amazon’s product development, customer service, and innovation strategies.
Bezos’s customer-centric philosophy manifests in various ways. For instance, Amazon’s customer service policies are designed to maximize customer satisfaction, often going above and beyond industry standards. This includes offering easy returns, fast shipping, and a broad range of products. The commitment to customer experience is not merely a slogan but a guiding principle that influences every aspect of Amazon’s operations.
Innovation and Risk-Taking
Another hallmark of Bezos’s leadership is a strong emphasis on innovation and risk-taking. Bezos has been known for his willingness to experiment and embrace failure as part of the innovation process. His approach is encapsulated in the principle that “failure and invention are inseparable twins.” This mindset has led to the creation of groundbreaking products and services such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Kindle, and Alexa.
Bezos encourages employees to think big and explore unconventional ideas. Amazon’s “Day 1” mentality, as described by Bezos, means treating every day as if it were the first day of the company’s existence. This approach fosters a culture of continuous improvement and creativity, where employees are motivated to push boundaries and explore new possibilities.
The Two-Pizza Rule
Bezos’s leadership style also emphasizes the importance of small, agile teams. The “Two-Pizza Rule” is a notable example of this principle. According to this rule, teams should be small enough to be fed with two pizzas. The rationale behind this is that smaller teams are more effective at communicating and collaborating, which leads to faster decision-making and more innovative solutions.
The Two-Pizza Rule has influenced Amazon’s organizational structure, promoting a decentralized and flexible approach to management. It encourages teams to be autonomous and take ownership of their projects, leading to a more dynamic and responsive organization.
Long-Term Thinking
One of the defining features of Bezos’s leadership is his long-term thinking. Bezos has consistently prioritized long-term goals over short-term gains, a strategy that has often led to criticism from investors focused on quarterly results. However, Bezos believes that focusing on the long term is essential for building a sustainable and successful business.
This long-term perspective is reflected in Amazon’s investments in infrastructure, technology, and talent. For example, Amazon’s substantial investments in its fulfillment network and cloud computing services were made with the expectation of significant long-term returns. Bezos’s willingness to forgo immediate profits in favor of future growth has been a key driver of Amazon’s success.
Leadership Principles
Amazon’s leadership principles are a cornerstone of its corporate culture and reflect Bezos’s values and vision. These principles guide decision-making, employee behavior, and company policies. Some of the most notable principles include:
Customer Obsession: Always start with the customer and work backwards. Work to earn and keep customer trust.
Invent and Simplify: Seek out new solutions and simplify processes to make things easier for customers.
Hire and Develop the Best: Raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. Recognize exceptional talent and help them grow.
Deliver Results: Focus on the key inputs for your business and deliver them with the right quality and in a timely fashion.
These principles help create a unified company culture where employees are aligned with Amazon’s mission and values. They also serve as a framework for evaluating performance and making strategic decisions.
A Culture of High Standards
Bezos is known for his insistence on high standards, which is reflected in Amazon’s corporate culture. He believes that maintaining high standards is crucial for driving excellence and innovation. This approach has led to a demanding work environment where employees are expected to deliver exceptional results and continuously improve.
While this culture of high standards has contributed to Amazon’s success, it has also been a point of contention. Critics have pointed to the intense pressure and high expectations placed on employees, leading to concerns about work-life balance and employee well-being. Bezos and Amazon have addressed these concerns in various ways, including investing in employee benefits and programs aimed at improving workplace conditions.
Lessons for Other Organizations
Amazon’s leadership and corporate culture offer several valuable lessons for other organizations:
Customer Focus: Prioritizing the customer can drive innovation and create a competitive edge. Companies should continually seek to understand and meet customer needs.
Embrace Failure: Viewing failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback can foster innovation and resilience. Encouraging experimentation and risk-taking can lead to breakthroughs.
Small Teams, Big Impact: Smaller, autonomous teams can be more agile and effective. Empowering teams to make decisions and take ownership can drive productivity and creativity.
Long-Term Vision: Balancing short-term pressures with a focus on long-term goals can lead to sustainable growth and success. Investing in future-oriented projects can pay off over time.
High Standards: Setting high standards and striving for excellence can drive performance and improvement. However, it is important to balance this with consideration for employee well-being.
Conclusion
Jeff Bezos’s leadership and Amazon’s corporate culture have been instrumental in shaping the company’s success and influence. Bezos’s focus on the customer, innovation, long-term thinking, and high standards has created a unique and powerful organizational environment. While there are challenges associated with this approach, the lessons from Amazon’s leadership can provide valuable insights for other organizations striving for excellence and growth.
