Mini disk can store maximum info

By Joel Smith
From: The Detroit News

Big isn't always better. Just ask Ken Kincer, he has developed a CD-ROM disk the size of a business card.

It holds up to 50 megabytes of information that can include videos, audio, a virtual brochure or a software demo showcasing a product or company. With 50 megabytes of space, you can present a four- to five-minute presentation.

His company, formed last November, doesn't even have a listed telephone number yet, but word of mouth has his 12 employees scrambling to complete orders. For about $1.50 a disk, companies can hand out the mini-disks at trade shows and other events and the receiver can simply slip the disk into a shirt pocket for later viewing on a computer CD drive.

Somebody walking around a trade show will find a regular-size CD a bit cumbersome to carry, particularly if they have a half-dozen or more. And the size of the disk is intriguing to many people.

"It's not something that most people have seen before," Kincer said. "It's captivating because most people haven't seen anything this small.  It piques their curiosity."

The business card-size disks come with 50 megabyte capacity. A regular-size CD can hold up to 650 megabytes.

But Kincer said the smaller disks provide sufficient space to get a company's message across. He said that companies that use the larger disks have a tendency to include too much information or get too complicated, both of which will quickly turn off viewers.

GDIS, Inc. will provide a four-color silkscreen label for the disk that can include a company's name, logo, phone number and address. He also will burn in the data and information on the disk.

About half the companies he's dealing with develop their own material in-house for the disk. The others generally use SV3 Media Group in Rochester Hills.

Minimum orders start at 1,000 cards. For an additional charge, the cards will come with a soft plastic protective case.

The mini CD-ROM disk can be used in any tray-style CD-ROM drive. Despite its small size, it rests comfortably in the middle of the tray.  The disks can be formatted for use in any PC or Macintosh computer.

Joel Smith is a Detroit News business writer who reports on high-tech and computers.

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