Philips Mt Rainier Rewritable Validation Suite - Page 2

- What is EasyWrite?

EasyWrite is a standards compliance logo for the Mount Rainier format as defined by Microsoft, Compaq, Sony and Philips. The need for verifying how good Mt. Rainier is implemented by each manufacturer, lead Philips and other Mt. Rainier group partners to setup a test suite and special test discs that will test in depth the Mt. Rainier enabled drives.

- Why EasyWrite is important?

Mt. Rainier format promises robustness needed for frequent data interchange and distribution. Mt Rainier main propose is to replace floppy diskette and improve the readability of the stored data. Since scratches and media defects are frequent to many users, each Mt. Rainier drive should be able to handle them and always protect the written data. Therefore the need for a test suite is important. EasyWrite comes to complete that need

- How can I obtain the EasyWrite logo?

EasyWrite requires compliance with the specifications of the Mount Rainier group. Philips (http://www.licensing.philips.com) provides the Mount Rainier Test suite to hardware manufacturers for testing their drives. If the drive passes all tests, it is awarded with the EasyWrite logo. EasyWrite logo ensures that the specific drive works according to the Mt. Rainier group specifications.

- Who conducts EasyWrite tests?

Each hardware manufacturer can obtain the EasyWrite test suite and test discs. After testing its drives with the EasyWrite test suite and send the test results to Philips, can obtain the EasyWrite logo.

Two-three times per year, all hardware/software manufacturers that support Mt. Rainier format, gathered in Microsoft's offices and perform the so-called "Plugfest" (http://www.microsoft.com/hwdev/events/rainierpf.htm). The objective for the Plugfest is to improve the quality of Mt. Rainier capable hardware and applications, and the interchange of the media written by these on the Windows platform. This event is intended for hardware developers and software engineers who are responsible for writing the firmware and drivers for these devices. The Plugfest is intended to be a workshop to test interchange and interoperability.