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TECH
TOOLS -
MAY
2001 |
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RECORDABLE CDs |
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The
convenience of being able to store huge amounts of information
on a
CD can be tremendously
helpful. You can use Recordable CDs to back up your hard
drive, share information with co-workers or friends, or
make an eye-catching presentation to hand out to your
clients! |
| A
little info about the different types of CDs... |
- CD-R is a CD that is
only Recordable, or burn-able, once. You use either a
CD-R or CD-RW drive and appropriate software to burn
the disk. CD-R disks can then be read by most other
CD-ROM drives on the market. You can also burn an
audio CD on a CD-R disk and it will be recognized by
almost all audio CD players.
How is it done? CD-R makes use of blank disks
with a layer of organic dye covering the data area.
The drive's laser writes the data pattern into the
dye, irreversibly altering its optical properties
wherever the beam shines. Because
of this, CD-R is a write-once technology.
- CD-RW is a CD that is
ReWritable, meaning you can burn is multiple
times. Burning over a CD-RW erases all the
current information on that disk. CD-RW disks are able
to be read by many CD ROM drives currently on the
market but not by all. Most CD-RW disks cannot be used
for audio CDs.
How is it done? CD-RW uses a disk with a
polycrystalline layer, which can be altered between
'amorphous' and 'ordered' states by heating with the
drive's laser beam. Any data on the disk can be
replaced by simply overwriting at a later date, but
there is a limit to how many times this can be done;
most CD-RW disks guarantee at least 1,000 re-writes.
Special writing strategies are needed to make sure
that portions of the disk are not overused with
respect to others, causing them to expire faster.
- You can purchase
Recordable discs in bulk for less then 50 cents each
and ReWritable discs for less then $1 each.
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| What
to look for in a CD-RW drive... |
- CD-RW drive specs
usually quote 3 different speeds - one speed is for
Writing CD-R disks and CD-RW disks, one speed is for
ReWriting CD-R discs; and one speed is for Reading CD-RW
discs.
- For example, the
Sanyo 12x10x32 CD-RW internal drive, has a 12x
Write speed, a 10x ReWrite speed for CD-R, and a
32x Read speed.
- Do you want an external
or internal drive? Internal drives tend to be
faster than external, but externals have the
portability advantage for use with more than one
computer. Your choice may also determine the
answer to the next question....
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| How
will it connect to your computer? |
- USB - Stands for
Universal Serial Bus; it's an external interface for
connecting peripheral devices to a computer. The USB
port is the standard interface on the iMac computer
and is also found on many PCs manufactured after 1997.
In order for the USB port to be usable on a PC, the
computer must be running the Windows 98 operating
system. The USB port is not as fast as the SCSI
interface but it is much easier to install on a PC
because it doesn't require a SCSI card.
- SCSI - SCSI means
"Small Computer System Interface" and it's
pronounced "scuzzy". SCSI is a computer
interface that can be used to attach things like hard
drives and scanners to your computer. To use these
drives, you will need to install a SCSI adapter (also
called a card) inside your computer. With a SCSI
adapter you can also hook up other SCSI type devices
like extra hard drives, scanners, Zip or Jaz drives.
SCSI devices usually are faster than IDE devices.
- IDE - This is
inside your computer and it connects your hard drive
(C) to any other drive. There's a 40-pin cable with
three connectors on it. One of these connectors plugs
into the IDE connector on the motherboard or I/O
adapter card. The other two attach to the drives. On
most setups, one end of the cable is attached to the
IDE connector. The middle connector attaches to the
secondary drive, if there is one. The other end is
attached to the primary drive (hard drive).
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| Taking
care of your CDs... |
- Most users try to
protect the bottom of their CD-R or CD-RW discs,
because the laser reads data from that side. However,
the most sensitive part of the disc is actually the
top, which contains the dye layer. Although the
durability of the dye layer varies, if you scratch it
or tear it off, your data is gone for good.
- Use only felt tip
permanent markers to write on the top of the disc. Be
wary of adhesive labels. If the label starts to peel
or tear off, it could take the dye layer with it. Only
use labels made specifically for CD-R or CD-RW disks
and never try to remove one once it has been applied.
- Keep your CD-R or CD-RW
discs in sealed containers away from bright lights,
heat and water. CD writers use laser light to write
the data on the dye layer, but sunlight, bright room
lights and heat cause the dyes to degrade
quickly. While water won't harm the plastic
disc, but it may damage the dye layer.
- Most makers of CD-recordable
disks claim that the green (cyanine) disks last up to
75 years, gold (phthalocyanine) last up to 100 years
and platinum last up to 200 years.
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| A
few resources to help you... |
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