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July 2008 |
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| Using Compact Discs |
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Compact Discs It is now commonplace to use "Compact Disc" (CD) media to store computer data but there are several different types available on the market. The object of this article is to define the types and answer some common questions about these media. Compact Discs can be used to hold digital information (i.e. computer data or music in digital form). Compact Disc is widely available in two standard sizes -
The device that reads (or writes) a CD is known as the "CD-drive". The simplest drives can only read data but drives which can read and write data are readily available. For maximum compatibility with the greatest number of CD drives use 650 Mbyte discs. CD
Drive Speed A "24x" CD drive will read data 24 times faster than the first CD-drives. This system makes it very easy to compare the relative speeds of CD-drives. CD writing times are always considerably slower than reading times, due to extra complexity involved in writing data to a CD. A "combination drive" (i.e. one which can read and write CDs) will often list several speeds e.g.
CD-ROM
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