Early 12-inch WORM disk drives and media

[Tom Gardner]

I'm pulling together a timeline of optical computer data storage and having
fun with the early ones.  A copy of Rothchild's Optical Memory Report,  From
the early 80's would be appreciated - hardcopies are at the CHM so maybe
I'll have to drive over there

 

I'm told by a reliable source and am trying to confirm that Philips and
Toshiba were first  circa 1980 so can anyone identify and provide any
details about any 12-inch WORM disk drives and media that were shipped by
either around 1980.

 

FWIW the earliest WORM I can identify is the OSI Laserdrive 1200 which
shipped in 1983.  OSI was a joint venture of Philips and CDC and in turn a
successor to their earlier joint ventures, Optical Media Laboratory in
Holland and Optical Peripherals Laboratory in Colorado.  So the Laserdrive
might be a rebadged or enhanced version of the earlier Philips product.

 

I have no clue as to any early Toshiba WORM

 

FWIW,  in 1981 Matsushita demonstrated  of a 200 mm diameter WORM disk with
a capacity of 15,000 still pictures but this wasn't a data disk.  Not clear
when and if it shipped as a product.  [source:
http://www.wtec.org/loyola/opto/ad_matsu.htm ]

 

There is also an indication that Thompson CF also had an optical data
storage system circa 1981 but I can find nothing about it.

 

Any recollections and all literature would be appreciated.

 

Tom