Cd Rom Compact Disc Read Only Memory

The Compact Disc (CD), as a standardized information carrier, has become one of the most successful consumer products ever marketed. Although the original disc was intended for audio playback, its specific advantages opened very quickly the way towards various computer applications. The standardization of the Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) and of all succeeding similar products, like Compact Disc interactive (CD-i), Photo and Video CD, CD Recordable (CD-R), and CD Rewritable (CD R/W), has substantially enlarged the range of possible applications. The plastic disc represented from the very beginning a removable medium of large storage capacity. The advent of the personal computer accompa nied by the increasing demand for both data distribution and exchange have strongly marked the evolution of the CD-ROM drive. The number of sold CD-ROM units exceeded 60 millions in 1997 when compared to about 2.5 millions in 1992. As computing power continuously improved over the years, computer pe ripherals have also targeted better performance specifications. In particular, the speed of CD-ROM drives increased from the so-called 1X in 1984 to dou ble speed in 1992, and further to 32X at the beginning of 1998. The average time needed to access data on disc has dropped from about 300 ms to less than 90 ms within the same period of time.

Utilizing the vast storage capacity and cost-effectiveness of Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) is easy, thanks to this handy, all-in-one reference. Updated from the highly respected first edition, this second edition presents the latest information and implementation techniques in CD-ROM related hardware and software, as well as multimedia technologies like DVI. Now readers can master CD-ROM's exciting feature that combines-and allows simultaneous access to-conventional data, audio, computer graphics, and video images. Targeted to software developers, applications programmers, producers of multimedia products, and imaging professions, this edition clearly and succintly explains what CD-ROM is, how it works, and how to use it effectively.

This new edition contains a major section on producing, using and understanding CD-ROMs that answers every user's questions, from the simplest to the toughest. The book covers everything from applications and multimedia to compatibility and hardware issues. The applications section has been expanded to over three times that of the previous edition.

For the novice, the world of CD-ROMs can be confusing and frustrating. This book demystifies the world of CD-ROMs and gives the reader the information needed to choose the right hardware and software as well. It walks the reader through the basics of the technology and provides an extensive overview of multimedia, games, and edutainment software available on CD-ROM.