CD-ROM as a mass storage device

The authors discuss the physical characteristics of a CD-ROM which is capable of holding the equivalent of approximately 270000 pages of textual data or over 10000 digitized images or even audio. This means of storing information is an offshoot of the highly successful audio compact disk. The CD-ROM is a permanent optical storage device that, in conjunction with a player, becomes a powerful peripheral for personal computer users. CD-ROM offers unequaled storage capacity and per-byte economy. Characteristics pertinent to access time, transfer rate and interfaces are discussed. CD-ROM logical characteristics are outlined. Proprietary logical formats are described. The High Sierra proposal for a standard logical is addressed.<
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