Smaller, Cheaper Blu-ray Reader/Writer to Hit Notebooks

Since the format war is something of the past, it was only a matter of time before either Sony or Apple announced Blu-ray laser technology for thinner, smaller notebook drives in the future. As such, the company responsible for 1.8 million iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 busted batteries is now officially revealing a new, cheaper and more reliable Blu-ray laser technology for notebooks.

Several technology-based websites talk of a new and extremely accurate laser system, which Sony and its development partner Nichia are hoping to ship as soon as this year. The new laser unit is just 3mm thick, and is to appear in the company's 9.5mm laptop drives as a more reliable, less expensive Blu-ray-reading/writing module.

That's right, not only is it smaller than we would have ever imagined, but it's a reader and a burner at the same time - something that could have influenced MacBook Air's figures big time. Nevertheless, we're just talking about the laser head here. Had Apple wanted to enable its slim notebook with Sony's latest tech, it would have taken up more space than this small object (pictured above) does.

The laser reader packaging is said to be just 3mm (0.11 inches) thick "without sacrificing features," but "a Blu-ray drive using the laser technology can both read and record as with earlier, thicker drives," according to electronista.com. More than that, it also has "eyes" for discs printed using a newer organic dye, which makes them cheaper to produce than most current discs, as Sony notes.

Needless to say, every detail carried in this story should ultimately lead to an official Sony announcement regarding price cuts on all Blu-ray-enabled devices. One of those is of course the company's latest computer entertainment system, the PlayStation 3, which, if implemented with the new Blu-ray reader, could also see another price cut this year, to console gamers' delight.