Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!unmvax!uokmax!d.cs.okstate.edu!minich
From: minich@d.cs.okstate.edu (Robert Minich)
Newsgroups: comp.arch
Subject: Re: CD-ROM documents (was Paperless Office)
Message-ID: <1990Dec4.020820.28232@d.cs.okstate.edu>
Date: 4 Dec 90 02:08:20 GMT
References: <1990Dec3.220850.18352@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Organization: Oklahoma State University
Lines: 33

tbray@watsol.waterloo.edu (Tim Bray):
| There's been discussion of CD-ROM here recently.  Should just point out one
| important architectural issue: CDROMs have a seek time of on the order of
| 500 ms - that's right, half a second.  This means that the selection of
| algorithms and data structures available for use on CD-ROM is very highly
| constrained.  Also, it means that a CD-ROM is unlikely to be a satisfactory
| database access medium for more than one user at a time.
| 
| It is unlikely that the access time issue will improve.  The reason CD-ROM's
| are used at all is their extreme cheapness, which is achieved by leveraging
| off the high-volume manufacturing technology due to the music industry.  Make
| any significant changes to the medium or the players to speed it up, and
| you lose that leverage, and the cost advantage compared to magnetic or
| more conventional optical media.

  There was rumor printed recently (can't find the citation) that Apple
is working on a CD-ROM player with access times around 35ms. Needless to
say this would be avery useful product if priced reasonably. Apple has
put a lot of resources into using CD-ROM for distribution. All
registered developers get CDs at regular intervals that are jam packed
with goodies. They also distribute training and info CDs to dealers.
One service provides updates on all of Apple's MPW development tools all
at once for a yearly fee. I believe the reason is not ideological but
rather economical. Why distribute a couple disks and some paper when you
could, for the same price, have hundreds of megabytes of useful info?

I have no affiliation with Apple other than owning a Mac. Mistakes are
clearly unmarked.
-- 
|_    /| | Robert Minich            |
|\'o.O'  | Oklahoma State University| "Get bent."
|=(___)= | minich@d.cs.okstate.edu  |               -- Bart Simpson
|   U    | - Ackphtth               |


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com