Before high speed wireless internet networks became standard in most homes, data needed to be moved from one computer to another in the most efficient manor possible. First came the floppy drive, but as computers became more powerful, running more complex multimedia and software programs, data files began to grow in size as well. This spawned a new breed in data storage, the CD. Today, CD-ROM drives and CD media are being replaced with DVD drives and disks because the dynamics of computer use and data storage have changed universally.
Using a CD-ROM drive requires two components, the physical drive and the
media. CD-ROM and DVD media are both read by the appropriate drive through the use of a laser. The laser reads a series of microscopic indentations on the media and converts the digital details into information your computer can process and use. Sometimes you may hear the term optical drive instead of CD-ROM or DVD drive. This generic term covers any drive that reads media through the use of a laser or light source.
There are several types of CD-ROM and DVD drives available today. CD-ROM drives are designed to read media but can not write data to disks. CD-ROM drives were the first optical drives available to the home consumer and some lower end desktop and notebook computers may be sold with a read-only CD-ROM drive. CD-RW drives allow the home user to not only read pre-made CD media but to read and write to blank disks. A standard piece of CD media holds up to 703 mb of data, and depending on the style of media you choose, you may be able to erase and rewrite the disk up to one thousand times.
Many people are moving to DVD drives and media because a single layer DVD is able to hold about 6 times more data than a standard CD-ROM. One piece of DVD media will hold up to 4.4gb of data. These larger capacity media look very similar to standard CD media but can not be read by CD-ROM drives. In something that is called “backwards capability”, DVD drives can read CD-ROM media. This allows you to upgrade your drive to the more advanced technology without losing the ability to read the CD disks you already have.
If you are interested in upgrading your computer’s CD-ROM drive with a DVD drive or a drive that can read and write disks, the upgrade can usually be completed in 30 minutes or less. Before you begin any work on your computer, you do need to determine what type of connector your CD-ROM Drive is using. Most computers today use a standard IDE connection for the CD-ROM drive. If your computer is more than five years old you may want to spend a few minutes searching online for more informaton about your drive. Once you have determined the connection type you will be able to purchase the appropriate drive. Then follow the instructions provided with your new upgraded drive.
After you have upgraded your optical drive, you may need to install additional software on your computer in order to actually write data to the disks or play DVD movies. Many upgrade kits do come with software that needs installing in order to make your new drive work, so make sure you follow the instructions provided with the drive that you purchase. Then, before you know it, you will be enjoying the ability to share your files and data between computers without the need for the internet.
Understanding your computer:
>>>>What is
the CPU?
>>>>What is the Hard Drive?
>>>>What is the Video Display?
>>>>What is RAM?
>>>>What is the Video Card?
>>>>What is the Motherboard?
>>>>What is USB?