Computerworld reports on blue-laser DVD drives. Capsule summary: there's two competing formats, the DVD Forum's HD-ROM and the Blu-Ray Disc Founders BD-ROM format. HD-ROM can be produced on current DVD mastering equipment, and holds 15GB on a single-layer disc (30GB for dual-layer). BD-ROM requires more radical production changes, but Blu-Ray Founders claim BD-ROMs will be cheaper to produce in the long run, and BD-ROM holds 25GB on a single-layer disc or 50GB on double-layer, 67% more than HD-ROM.
Sony says both write-once and rewriteable BD-ROM media will be available by the end of the year, and the Blu-Ray format has been endorsed by major PC brands including HP and Dell.