Re: Our very own CD-ROM (was: Re: Apple2 archive at grind.isca.uiowa.edu)

[behrenss@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Soenke Behrens)]

glyn@gsb013.cs.ualberta.ca (Reade Glyn Devin) writes:

>In article <behrenss.749933726@hphalle6>, Soenke Behrens writes...

>> Forget CD-ROM. Mastering costs around $1250. Sure, the actual CD-ROMs are
>> this just to discover it doesn't sell can't be it, really. I am convinced
>> that for us, CD-WO is the way to go.
>I've never looked much into this technology; what is the difference between
>CD-ROM and CD-WO?  Do you need different drive mechanisms?  Any difference
>in the permanence of the media?

First, let me say that I might be wrong. It seems prices for CD-ROM are
lower in the US than here, although the price Jawaid quoted for mastering
equipment hardly sounds believeable :)

CD-ROM is pressed. CD-WO is written. That is the difference. To the user,
the most prominent difference is that CD-WOs are golden and CD-ROMs are
silvery.

The drive mechanisms are the same. The media has the same durability and
life time.

CD-WO is used when you only need a small number of CDs, since CD-ROM only
pays off on medium to large numbers.

Example for CD-WO usage: Beta-testing CD-based software and Photo CDs.
(If anyone tells you CD-WO media is expensive, tell him to buy Kodak
Photo-CD ... same technology, lower price).

Soenke
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