George S. Papich (Editor: Stacy Walter)

The compact disk (CD) and the CD-ROM have revolutionized the way people use personal computers; the average PC user now has access to greater amounts of information in a much shorter period of time. One major drawback of the CD has been the inability of the PC user to record one’s own information onto the CD -- it has always been a read-only medium. CD-Recordable (CD-R) drives and disks, and CD-ReWritable (CD-RW) drives and disks make it possible for the everyday PC user to create one’s own audio CDs and CD-ROMs. Even though this technology has been available since the early 1990’s, its access to the average PC user is relatively new, and it marks a major breakthrough in the evolution of the compact disk and its relationship to the personal computer.

The CD-R and the CD-RW are hardware drives which can copy data onto compact disks. Each drive uses a distinct disk: the CD-R uses a compact disk which can only be recorded on one time, whereas the CD-RW disk can be recorded on numerous times. The technology used to create a CD in the CD-R drive is similar to the technology used in the CD-RW drive. The CD-R drive uses a laser to copy or "burn" information onto a multi-layered CD-R disk. The layer in which the information is burned onto the disk is a photosensitive dye layer that is heated and altered through a chemical process. Since the disk goes through a chemical modification, once it is altered it can not be changed. Therefore, information on the CD-R can be recorded only once. The difference with the CD-RW is that the disk itself does not have a photosensitive dye layer. Rather, this element is replaced with a phase-change layer composed of a chemical compound that can change states when energy is applied to it. Thus, when a CD-RW disk is created with a CD-RW drive, the disk can be changed or erased at a later date, and new information can be placed onto the disk. Both the CD-R and CD-RW drives employ the use of software to aid in the creation of compact disks. The drive itself is quite often an external piece of hardware, but internal CD-R and CD-RW drives are also available.

When comparing the two technologies, it may appear as though the CD-R technology is obsolete with the advent of the CD-RW. In fact, there are positive and negative aspects to both the CD-R and the CD-RW which may allow for the coexistence of the two technologies. First, the cost of the CD-RW is significantly greater than that of the CD-R, but over time the CD-RW will most likely drop in price. The fact that CD-R disks can only be recorded on once causes problems because mistakes are often made in the "burning" process, and the copied disk has an error, making the disk unusable. The major issue when comparing the CD-R and the CD-RW is the compatibility of both technologies. CD-R disks are compatible with most audio CD players, computer CD-ROM players, and CD-R players. CD-RW disks, on the other hand, are not compatible with these CD players and can only be played on CD-RW machines. There are benefits to having both machines, but some experts and PC users feel that CD-RW machines will be the wave of the future because they can record on, play, and read both CD-R and CD-RW disks.

There are numerous manufacturers of CD-R and CD-RW drives and disks. Among the leaders in this technology are Phillips (the creator and innovator of this technology), as well as Sony, Yamaha, Ricoh, and other major companies. Prices for both drives fall well under $1000; a functional CD-R or CD-RW drive could be purchased for about $300. CD-R disks are usually $2 to $4 apiece, while the CD-RW disks are just a few dollars more. CD-R drives and disks have been available since 1992-1993, while CD-RW drives and disks began shipping in 1997; it is still too early to gauge what kind of an impact CD-RW will have upon CD-R. Katherine Cochrane, a leading researcher and online publisher of information regarding the CD-R and CD-RW, during a 1996 interview with the Salt Lake City Tribune quoted a January 1996 Dataquest report that estimated CD-R drives would reach a peak revenue of $300 million in 1997 and begin to decline thereafter with the advent of the CD-RW. History has shown that newer, upgraded technology quite often pushes out the older, out-dated technology, and this fact could predict the future of these products. Time will tell whether the CD-R can survive in the marketplace with the CD-RW.

After the creation of the compact disk, Phillips worked hard to develop the technology to make it possible to copy and create compact disks; the result was the CD-R. Through more research, Phillips discovered that many users of CD-R technology were pleased with the opportunity to finally record their own CDs, but many wanted a disk that could be recorded, erased, and re-recorded; the result was the CD-RW. The greatest and most obvious application and use of both the CD-R and the CD-RW is in the area of storage. Both disks generally come in three lengths: 21 minutes, which can hold 184 megabytes of data; 63 minutes which holds 553 megabytes; and 74 minutes, which holds 650 megabytes of data (and is also the most common disk length available). The compact disk offers the ability to store a tremendous amount of information and the relatively quick retrieval of that information. Many businesses such as law firms, accounting firms and medical and insurance companies use CD-R’s and CD-RW’s to store and archive records. Many courts are authorizing the use of CD-R’s and CD-RW’s to store cases and decisions. For the home PC user, CD-R’s and CD-RW’s make it possible to store and archive data in much the same way a floppy disk is used. In addition, audio CD’s, as well as games and other CD-ROM’s, can be copied and used for private use. The CD-R and CD-RW is like having a floppy disk that can store an overwhelming amount of information and rapidly retrieve that information.

OPPORTUNITIES, PROBLEMS, AND PROSPECTS

The future of the CD-R and CD-RW is still uncertain because the technology, especially with the CD-RW, is emerging and has only very recently been made available to the public at large. As of April of 1998, problems are already beginning to appear on the horizon for the CD-R and the CD-RW. First, many PC users who have access to CD-R and CD-RW drives use them to make illegal copies of games, desktop publishing software, and other home and office programs. Software companies are losing money because of the relative ease in making illegal copies of their products, and eventually a process (whether it is software to block the illegal copying or a mechanism in the drive itself) will need to be put into place to curb incidences of CD pirating. Karen Kaplan, in the February 16, 1998 Business section of the Los Angeles Times, discusses another problem of the CD-R and the CD-RW: the longevity of both technologies. She explains that the life expectancy of CD-R disks is only about 30 years, so after that time, any data on the disk may be lost. In addition, 50 or 100 years from now we may no longer be using compact disks, so there may not be a machine available that can read a CD-R or CD-RW disk. Another problem rapidly facing both the CD-R and CD-RW is the emergence of the DVD The DVD disk is faster and can hold a vast amount of information (approximately 4 gigabytes), which makes it more appealing than both the CD-R and CD-RW. It is hard to forecast exactly what the future holds for both the CD-R and the CD-RW, but, based on some of the problems looming for this technology, it looks as though the CD-Recordable and the CD-ReWritable may have a relatively short life span.

Andy McFadden’s CD-Recordable FAQ. Online. HTTP: www.cd-info.com/CDIC/Technology

/CD-R/FAQ01.html#[1-1

] (16 February 1998).

Caricaburu, L. (1996) ‘CD-R industry trends’, Salt Lake City Tribune, 16 July. Online. HTTP:

www.cd-info.com/CDIC/History/Commentary/trends.html

(16 February 1998).

Kaplan, K. (1998) ‘The culture’s immortal, but not the disk’, Los Angeles Times, 16 February.

PC Webopaedia. Online. HTTP: www.pcwebopedia.com (17 February 1998).

Phillips Electronics. Online. HTTP: www.pc.be.phillips.com (16 February 1998).

The CD Information Center. Online. HTTP: www.cd-info.com (17 February 1998).

The PC Guide. Online. HTTP: www.pcguide.com (16 February 1998)

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