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But if one company gains the lion's share of the bundling business, does that spell doom for the other players on the field?
Things are changing quickly in the CD-R industry. That is no surprise for those of us who track it, and it is certainly no surprise to potential users who have spent time contemplating and researching CD-Recordable hardware and software purchases. Changes seem to be happening almost weekly, in software, hardware, media, and pricing. CD-R media now sell below six dollars per piece. Most computer supply companies, who traditionally carry floppy disks, tape in various formats, and sometimes WORM and MO cartridges, have added one or more brands of CD-R media to their stock. A complete CD-R bundle, including recorder, software, SCSI card, cabling, and media, can be purchased for as little as $499.
Just as CD-ROM drives are becoming standard equipment on new systems, CD recorders are also showing up as standard equipment on some models and optional equipment on others. But machines equipped with recorders must have software to run them. The bundling business will become a sales bonanza for CD-R software vendors fighting to gain market share and recognition by making new bundling deals, whether with recorders alone or with recorderequipped systems. And, as in any other business, competition breeds lower prices and better products. But if one company gains the lion's share of the bundling business, does that spell doom for the other players on the field?
ACQUISITION FEVER
The real heavy-impact maneuvering in the CD-R software market began in 1995 with Adaptec's acquisition of Incat Systems, whose Easy-CD and Easy-CD Pro CD-R software is nearly ubiquitous in CD-R hardware/software bundles. Shortly thereafter, Microtest purchased Optical Media International of QuickTopix (CD-R software) and Disc-to-Disk (audio extraction) fame. But this year's shocker came with the June 26, 1996 announcement that Adaptec had purchased Corel's CD Creator product line for $12 million, making Adaptec the proud proprietor of the two most popular and widely bundled CD recording products two products soon to become one. A year ago, with...