DVD-Ram drives are promoted by their supporters as next-generation storage devices that are flexible, have large capacity and are relatively low-cost. Among the first DVDRam drives - DVD stands for digital versatile disk - to reach the market is Panasonic's LP-D101U which allows up to 5.2Gb of data to be squeezed onto a single double-sided disk.

The drive has the additional benefit of compatibility with Panasonic's 650Mb PD re-writeable disks and a wide range of CD and DVD media types. DVD-Ram drives use a form of laser-phase-change technology that unlike CD-R or CD-RW allows data to be written and erased on a DVDRam disc on an unlimited basis. Installing the drive is just like fitting a standard CDRom or DVD drive. www.panasonic.com