> >> That's how it's supposed to be.
quoted text
> 
> Leslie> You mean that's how IDEMA specs read.  Unless there is some
> Leslie> legal agreement signed by the drive manufacturer (or whomever)
> Leslie> requiring adherence to a certain spec, they can do just about
> Leslie> anything they want.  Compliance with a published spec is great,
> Leslie> but unless some licensing agreement is in place, it isn't
> Leslie> enforceable.
> 
> Oracle is not a member so I'm not sure what (if any) leverage is
> available as part of the IDEMA membership agreement.
> 
> I do think, however, that you are underestimating the power of industry
> associations and standards bodies.  System manufacturers, enterprise
> customers and governments absolutely refuse to buy things that are not
> compliant.  So this is not about whether you can legally cut corners.
> It is about being able to sell your product in the first place.

	So a company like Apple could never compete with IBM?

	There are myriad examples of non-compliant software and hardware
being developed in a standards-based environment yet selling very well.  I
think maybe you are underestimating the vast buying power of individual
consumers and non-enterprise businesses.  The consumer sector has much
different requirements than industry, government, or the military.  If a
non-compliant product is less expensive than a compliant one, it will often
nonetheless sell very well in the private sector.  The number of people who
check for an IDEMA certification before grabbing a drive off the shelf at
Best Buy or Office Depot is zilch.

quoted text
> In this particular case IDEMA is an organization founded and run by the
> drive manufacturers themselves.  They collaborated on the LBA spec and
> have all publicly stated that they'll adhere to it.  It is not a
> requirement that was forced upon them by an external entity.  Although
> it was, of course, motivated by customers unhappy with the annoying
> variation in LBA count between brands and even drive models...

	Well, first of all, in this very thread someone gave an example of a
modern drive which is apparently non-compliant.  If it is true, then your
argument is clearly less than convincing.  Even if not, however, voluntary
adherence to a set of standards is just that: voluntary.  If a manufacturer
feels it is economically prudent to violate such standards, there is nothing
stopping them, and if adhering to a standard in any particular instance
costs the company more money than producing a non-standard product, there's
a good chance they may decide to violate the standard.

	I'm not arguing against standards, here.  I'm just saying there's a
good chance of encountering non-compliant items in any consumer oriented
industry.

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