Articles and Resources !!!

CD-ROM

abbreviation of COMPACT DISC READ-ONLY MEMORY, type of computer memory in the form of a compact disc that is read by optical means. A CD-ROM drive uses a low-power laser beam to read digitized (binary) data that has been encoded in the form of tiny pits on an optical disk. The drive then feeds the data to a computer for processing.

The standard compact disc was introduced in 1982 for digital audio reproduction. But, because any type of information can be represented digitally, the standard CD was adapted by the computer industry, beginning in the mid-1980s, as a low-cost storage-and-distribution medium for large computer programs, graphics, and databases. With a storage capacity of 680 megabytes, the CD-ROM found rapid commercial acceptance as an alternative to so-called floppy disks (with a maximum capacity of 1.4 megabytes).

Unlike conventional magnetic storage technologies (e.g., tapes, floppy disks, and hard disks), CDs and CD-ROMs are not recordable--hence the tag "read only." This limitation spurred the development of various recordable magnetic-optical hybrid storage devices; but they generally failed to penetrate beyond the publishing world, where large multimedia files are regularly exchanged, because of incompatibility with standard CD and CD-ROM players. In the early 1990s a new type of CD became available: CD-Recordable, or CD-R. These discs differ from regular CDs in having a light-sensitive organic dye layer which can be "burned" to produce a chemical "dark" spot, analogous to an ordinary CD's pits, that can be read by existing CD and CD-ROM players. Such CDs are also known as WORM discs, for "Write Once Read Many." A rewritable version based on excitable crystals and known as CD-RW was introduced in the mid-1990s. Because both CD-R and CD-RW recorders originally required a computer to operate, they had limited acceptance outside of use as computer software and data backup devices.

To handle the proliferation of ever-larger multimedia files (audio, graphic, and video) in computer games, educational software, and electronic encyclopaedias--as well as high-definition movies for television entertainment systems--an expanded storage medium, digital videodisc (DVD), was introduced in 1995.

Dimensional Data Company - Full service computer consulting including network design, system architecture, hardware and software support and implementation, and intranet design.
J's Typewriter, Computer & Printer Repair - Equipment sales and repair. Services, coupon, and employment opportunities.
JLS Communications - Contractor provides computer and telecommunication installations to the business community.
Computer Source, Inc. - Discount wholesale computer and cellular phone sales to the public. Store location and hours, picture of store, repair rates.
Apple Computer - Provides information on Apple hardware and software, including QuickTime and Mac OS, as well as customer support information and a list of Apple authorized dealers across Canada.
Personal Computer Care - Offers onsite computer service including hardware and software problems. Professional qualifications, photo, online request form.
OneTech Computer Consulting, Inc - On-site sales, service, and support for individuals and small businesses on both PC and Mac platforms. Also offers networking and installation.