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From: tainter@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Tainter)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards,comp.arch
Subject: Re: CD-ROM speed
Message-ID: <4603@ihlpg.ATT.COM>
Date: 11 Jan 88 22:27:30 GMT
References: <1495@osiris.UUCP> <2126@haddock.ISC.COM> <1497@osiris.UUCP> <791@daisy.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 15

In article <791@daisy.UUCP>, david@daisy.UUCP (David Schachter) writes:
> According to "CD-ROM: The New Papyrus" by Microsoft Press, faster data
> transfer from CD-ROMs is unlikely because the frequency of the data starts
> to approach the frequency of the servo mechanisms used to keep the optics
> on track and in focus.
> 				-- David Schachter
Yes.  But, that is a discussion of data transfer rate, which is not what makes
CD roms slow.  What makes them slow is seek times.  Optical disks give you very
dense packing of tracks, this means you need very fine advances, which means
careful movement, which means slow (relatively, have you ever used a cassette
with a C64?).

Also, what is to say we can't remork CD roms with alternative servos?

--j.a.tainter