CDs or Compact Disks are optically readable media. CDs are the replacement for the phonograph disc. The main material of the CD is plastic. The shape of the plastic is circular and one side of the circular plastic is coated with the reflecting metal coating, usually aluminum. There are mainly three types of CDs available CD-R, CD-ROM and CD-RW. In this article, we will discuss CD-ROM in detail.
What is CD-ROM?
CD-ROM stands for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory. In all of its non-erasable, non-writable glory, the CD-ROM existed long before it infiltrated our system with its youthful promise of infinite information. ROM stands for Read-Only Memory it cannot be altered or erased. Binary (Digital) data that is encoded on little pits on the optical disc are read by the laser beams which are situated in the Optical Reader. It is an optical disc that can store data, music files, video files, games, etc.
Characteristics of CD-ROM
- CD-ROM is made up of clear poly-carbonate plastic, coated with a reflective material and a protective coat of clear lacquer.
- CD-ROM can only be read by CD-ROM Readers. Normal readers cannot read the CD-ROM disks.
- CD-ROM can hold up to 700 Megabytes of data, roughly 3, 00, 000 typewritten pages.
- It can store audio, still videos, pictures and animated graphics, and full motion video as well.
History of CD-ROM
The first theoretical studies on optical disc storage were produced by independent scholars in the United States, such as David Paul Gregg (1958) and James Russell (1965-1975). Gregg's discoveries, in particular, were the basis for the LaserDisc specification, which was developed jointly by MCA and Philips after MCA purchased Gregg's patents and the company he founded, Gauss Electrophysics. The CD-ROM format was introduced by a Japanese company Danon in 1982. Later on, CD-ROM was introduced by Danon and Sony at the 1st Japanese COMDEX computer show in 1985. After this the CD-ROM was famous and was used everywhere. It Started developing itself. The format of CD-ROM was introduced by Sony and Philips in 1983, which was called as Yellow Book.
CD-ROMs were initially used in home video game systems with the debut of the computer Engine CD-ROM2 (TurboGrafx-CD) in 1988. CD-ROM drives were added to personal computers by the end of the 1980s. Data east demonstrated a board for an arcade system that accepted CD-ROMs in 1990.
Advantages of CD-ROM
- CD-ROM can be accessed randomly.
- CD-ROM is the most cost effective way to produce and distribute large quantities of data.
- Compare to other storage disks, a CD-ROM is very rugged.
- CD-ROM is long-lasting.
- It is a secure medium for storing large amounts of read only information.
- CD-ROMs are quite durable and can last for decades if handled properly , making them useful for long-term data storage.
Disadvantage of CD-ROM
- The biggest complaint is that they are relatively slow.
- Once it is filled up with data, new data cannot be entered on it.
- Smaller storage capacity than hard disks.
- It can be easily scratched and after the scratches it won't work properly.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned about the CD-ROM is a type of optical disc that is used to store data from the computer. It was widely used for distributing software games, and other large files. This technology has been largely replaced by more modern forms of data storage like USB drives, cloud storage and solid state drives (SSDs), but it was an important step in evolution of data storage. CD-ROMs played a very crucial role in advancing the digital era and laid the foundation for optical storage technologies like DVDs and Blu-rays.
