Imagine that you are viewing a video film about an Antarctic expedition on your computer. It would be ideal if you can see the recording of the expedition, hear a commentary on the expedition at the same time and listen to the conversation of members of the expedition on your computer. All this and more is possible using a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory) as a storage medium. The CDs used in a CD-ROM are similar to audio CDs and can store vast quantities of data—600 MB or more
To read a CD-ROM, you need an input device called the CD-ROM drive. A CD-ROM can not be erased or written onto without the help of a special device called the CD-Recorder.
CD-ROM and CD-ROM Drive
CD-ROMs are used whenever large volumes of data need to be stored and distributed. Databases on medicine, tourism, literature, etc. are available on CD-ROMs. Encyclopedia and dictionaries are also available on CD-ROMs.