SONY BRINGS CD-RECORDABLE TECHNOLOGY TO THE MAINSTREAM COMPUTER USER WITH ITS NEW CD-R FILE SYSTEM; New CDRFS Technology Brings True Incremental Writing to 650 MB CD-R Discs; CD-R Drives Become an Easy-to-Use Secondary Storage Device On the Desktop

Business Wire, June 3, 1996

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- June 3, 1996--Sony Electronics today announced a new file system for CD-R (CD Recordable) drives that unleashes the full potential of 650 MB CD-R discs. Called Sony CDRFS (for CD Recordable File System), it enables CD-R drives to be used as practical secondary storage devices by making CD-R technology as simple to use as a hard disk or floppy drive. Users can now easily save files of any size to a CD-R disc without complicated commands and without a storage-hungry staging process.

"As prices of CD-R drives fall, users increasingly want to take advantage of the reliability, capacity and low cost of CD-R media and the large installed base of CD-ROM drives," said Dirk Peters, CD-R Product Manager for Sony Electronics' Component and Computer Products Group. "However, the current file system's limitations have prevented wider use. CDRFS takes those benefits and adds ease of use, making CD-R an ideal data archiving, distribution, and backup medium. Now everyone with a computer should consider having a CD-R drive on their desktop."

Until now, the CD-R file system has not been able to effectively write small packets of data to a CD-R disc. Because CDRFS employs packet recording in which data is written in 64K "packets," the new technology efficiently optimizes the placement of data on the disc without requiring a large hard disk "staging" area for data preparation. The result is that the CD-Recorder will effectively function like a hard drive or floppy disk. After inserting and formatting a CD-R disc, data can be copied to the disc by "drag and drop" or by using the familiar "Save As" command from the application software.

In addition, users can "delete" files as they would on a hard drive or floppy disk. (Because CD-R is a write-once technology, when data is "deleted" with CDRFS it is actually "hidden" from the user, but can be recovered later.) The CD-R drive seamlessly integrates into the operating system and becomes another convenient storage device.

Any CD-R drive that supports packet recording and has the CDRFS Read/Write software can read and write a CDRFS disc. A CD-ROM drive that supports reading packet recorded discs needs only a Read Only driver to read a CDRFS disc. (All Sony CD-ROM drives read packet recorded discs; most other manufacturers' drives are expected to read packet recorded discs as well.)

In addition, CDRFS has an option to include the Read Only driver and installer program on a CD-R disc when it formats the CD-R media. If this option is selected, each CD-R disc formatted with CDRFS will carry the Read Only driver and installer program so that users who receive a CDRFS disc will be able to install the software and read the disc. Sony is planning to distribute the Read Only file system driver at no cost through the Sony BBS (Bulletin Board System) and the company's World Wide Web site.

CDRFS will support all major operating systems including Windows 95, Windows NT, MacOS, OS/2, and UNIX systems. It is also expected to be cross-compatible so that a CDRFS disc created on one platform can be read on another.

Based in San Jose, the Component and Computer Products Group of Sony Electronics Inc. markets Trinitron monitors, optical drives, magnetic storage devices, power supplies and other products through OEM and VAR channels. For additional information about Sony computer products, visit Sony's World Wide Web site at: http://www.sel.sony.com/SEL/ccpg.>-0- Editor's Note: The address for Sony Component and Computer Products Group is 3300 Zanker Road, San Jose CA 95134. For more editorial information about Sony and its products, please contact Marilyn Ritchie, Technology Solutions, 408-280-6000; or Manny Vara, Sony Corporate Communications, 408-955-5142.

CONTACT: Press Contact: Manny Vara

Sony Electronics Inc.

408/955-5142

varam@ccmail.nhq.sony.com

or

Marilyn Ritchie

Technology Solutions Inc.

408/280-6000, x213

mritchie@ca.tsipr.com