Economist.com | Holographic data storage

Economist.com | Holographic data storage: "After years of development, researchers are on the verge of using holograms to store data in memories that are both fast and vast
The notion of holographic memory dates back to 1963, when Pieter van Heerden, a researcher at Polaroid, first proposed using the method to store data in three dimensions. In theory, it is a great idea. Existing media store data in only two dimensions. Adding a third would make storage devices far more efficient. But despite massive spending over four decades, a complete, general-purpose system that could be sold commercially has eluded both industrial and academic researchers.
It is still elusive. But it is getting closer. The first commercial holographic memory should be on the market next year, and more are expected to follow. When that happens, there may be a ballooning of computer storage capacity that will make existing disks look like leaflets compared with the Encyclopaedia Britannica."