Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!cae780!muir
From: muir@cae780.UUCP (David Muir Sharnoff)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: CD-ROM documents (was Paperless Office)
Message-ID: <11212@charm.UUCP>
Date: 30 Nov 90 05:35:45 GMT
References: <11191@pt.cs.cmu.edu> <00940487.15804140@KING.ENG.UMD.EDU> <28083@mimsy.umd.edu> <1990Nov29.162726.11411@mozart.amd.com>
Reply-To: muir@cae780.csi.com (David Muir Sharnoff)
Organization: Comdisco Systems Inc. Foster City, CA.
Lines: 33

I looked into distributing my company's software on CD ROM.  I didn't
save my findings, but I remember most of them...  

Young Minds Inc. sells software to make the master tapes.  Using their 
software, you can build a CD ROM image on your hard disk.  You can 
mount the image for testing purposes.  Once tested, you can transfer 
it to tape and have it pressed.  Young Minds' software costs about $7k.

CD ROMs can hold up to 600MB.

Pressing a CD requires that you have a master.  There are two kinds of
masters: metal & glass.  A metal master is good for about 50,000 CD's.
It costs between $800 and $2400 depending on how fast you want it, who
you go to, etc...  Each CD costs about $1.20 (again, milege may vary).  
A glass master costs about $250 and is only good for one CD.

There are several formats for CD ROM out there.  The format Sun (some
standard, what was it???) uses seems to the winner.  Digital uses a 
different format.

Rumors (sure, you can trust 'em):
	Digital will be switching over.
	Apollo will be soon support it.
	NeXT either already supports it or will be shortly.
	You can buy device drivers for most OSs.

Sorry to be so vague,

-Dave
-- 
David Muir Sharnoff.			"RISC is about one year ahead"
muir@csi.com				(415) 358-3664 (415) 644-0441
Comdisco Systems Inc.  919 East Hillsdale Blvd, Foster City, CA 94404