Ian & Stuart's Australian Mac: Not for Sale/Another.not.for.sale (Australia).iso/fade into you/being there/How To & FAQ's/cd-rom.FAQ

Text File | 1994-05-15 | 50KB | 1,242 lines

Archive-name: cdrom-faq
Last-modified: 1992/09/15

========================= FAQ alt.cd-rom ===================================

FAQ for the alt.cd-rom usenet newsgroup.  This list is posted to
alt.cd-rom every month.  The latest version is available via anonymous
ftp from cdrom.com (192.153.46.254): /pub/faq.  This file is freely
redistributable.

Disclaimer:  I have a direct financial interest in some of the companies
mentioned in this posting, and indirect financial interest in several others.

============================================================================

1.  What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs?
1a. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in North America?
1b. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in Europe?
1c. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in Asia?
1d. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in Australia and New Zealand?
2.  Can you recommend a good CD-ROM drive?
3.  Where can I get caddies?
4.  Are there any good periodicals and publications on CD-ROMs?
5.  Why are CD-ROM drives so slow?
6.  Is it important to have a fast CD-ROM?  Does 300ms vs. 700ms really matter?
7.  Is it important to buy a fully SCSI compatible drive?
8.  How much does it cost to make a CD-ROM?
9.  Where can I get a CD-ROM published?
10. Where can I find equipment to make my own CD-ROMs?
11. How much information will fit on a CD-ROM?
12. Why doesn't MSCDEX work with DOS 5.0?
13. Where can I get the latest version of MSCDEX?
14. I bought a used drive at a garage sale.  Where can I find a driver for it?
15. What is the difference between `High Sierra' and ISO-9660?
16. Where can I get a copy of the ISO-9660 standard?
17. What is an HFS disc?
18. Can you give a short explaination of ISO-9660?
19. What the heck does `Red Book' and `Yellow Book' mean?
20. What is CD-I?
21. What is CD-ROM/XA?
22. What are the Rock Ridge extensions?
23. Is a short technical introduction to these standards available?
24. Are there any ftp sites with good stuff related to CD-ROMs?
25. How do I write an MSDOS program that can access a cdrom using MSCDEX?
26. How do I mount an ISO-9660 disc on a Sun?
27. How do I use a CD-ROM with OS/2?
28. Which CD-ROM Drives will work with MicroSoft Windows-NT?
29. How do I read an audio cd track as digital data?
30. Why do CD-ROMs cost so much?
31. Why do all the bundle deals require me to buy a drive?  What if I
    already have a drive?
32. Are alt.cd-rom archives available anywhere?
33. What is the shelf-life of a CD-ROM?
34. How should I handle my CD-ROMs?  How do I clean them?
35. Which drives will work with Kodak Photo CD?
36. What is a "Multisession" CD drive?
37. Where can I get more information about the Kodak Photo CD?
38. Where can I get maps of the US on CD-ROM?
39. ???? Please send any other questions (and answers) that should
    be included in this FAQ to [e-mail].

==========================================================================
1. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs?

  Jim Raehl has compiled an excellent list of sources for inexpensive
  CD-ROMs.  His list is periodically posted to alt.cd-rom, and is available
  via anonymous ftp from cdrom.com:/pub/faq_disc.

  You can get a list of about 85 CD-ROM titles by sending a blank message
  to [e-mail]  [ Several people have had trouble
  getting the list, so I have made it available for anonymous ftp from
  cdrom.com:/pub/micro.med ]

==========================================================================
1a. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in North America?

  ---------------------------------
  Buckmaster Publishing
  Route 3, Box 56
  Mineral, VA 23117
  703-894-5777 or 800-282-5628
  A ham radio callbook database and 5000 public domain programs: $50
  ---------------------------------
  Bureau of Electronic Publishing
  141 New Road
  Parsippany, NJ  07054
  1 800 828-4766
  Publish lots of CD-ROM titles.  Call them for a catalog.
  ----------------------------------
  CD-ROM INC
  1667 Cole Blvd, Suite 400
  Golden, CO  80401
  1 800 821-5245
  Many discs, drives and accessories.  Call for free catalog.
  ------------------------------------
  The CD-ROM Source
  PO Box 20158
  Indianapolis, IN   46220
  Phone: [phone]
  ------------------------------------
  CDROMS Unlimited
  P.O. Box 7476
  Fremont, CA 94537-7476
  1 510 795-4286  Call for catalog
  ------------------------------------
  CD-ROM User's Group
  Post Office Box 2400
  Santa Barbara, CA 93120
  805-965-0265
  Bundle of 10 discs for $99.
  ------------------------------------
  Computers At Large
  18728 Cabernet Drive
  Saratoga, CA 95070-3561
  [phone], [phone] - FAX
  ------------------------------------
  Crazy Bob
  ERM Electronic Liquidators
  37 Washinton
  St. Melrose, Mass  02176
  Order line: 800-776-5865
  Sells mostly outdated or surplus discs at low prices
  ------------------------------------
  EBSCO Subscription Services (CD-ROM Handbook)
  P.O.Box 325
  Topsfield, MA 01983
  508-887-6667   800-221-1826   508-887-3923 (Fax)
  ------------------------------------
  EDUCORP
  7434 Trade Street
  San Diego, CA92121-2410
  1-800-843-9497
  ------------------------------------
  Faxon Co., Inc.  (Access Faxon)
  15 Southwest Park
  Westwood, MA 02090
  617-329-3350   800-225-6055   617-461-1862 (Fax)
  ------------------------------------
  Mr. CD Rom
  PO Box 1087
  Winter Garden, FL  34777
  800-444-mrcd
  407-877-3834  FAX
  ------------------------------------
  Nautilus
  7001 Discovery Blvd
  Dublin, OH 43017-8066
  1-800-637-3472
  Provides a CD-ROM of the month subscription.  13 CD-ROM's for $138.
  ------------------------------------
  Prime Time Freeware
  415-112 N. Mary Ave., Suite 50
  Sunnyvale, CA  94086
  [phone], [phone] FAX, [e-mail]
  UNIX-related source code on CD-ROM
  ------------------------------------
  Profit Press
  2956 N. Campbell Ave.
  Tucson, AZ  85719
  602-577-9624
  MEGA-Rom, 600+ meg MSDOS, $79
  ------------------------------------
  Raynbow Software, Inc.
  P. O. Box 327
  Rapid City, SD 57709
  [phone], [e-mail], CompuServe: 70410,413
  5000 GIFs on CD-ROM with Search Engine for $55
  ------------------------------------
  Reed Reference Publishing
  Bowker Electronic Publishing
  121 Chanlon Road
  New Providence, NJ 07974
  1-800-323-3288
  908-464-6800, 212-645-9700, 1-800-323-3328, [e-mail]
  "Books in Print" on CD-ROM, bi-monthly subscription $1095, w/reviews $1595
  ------------------------------------
  ROM-BO
  1300 Mohawk Blvd
  Springfield, OR    97477
  800-536-DISK
  ------------------------------------
  Stanford University Press
  415-723-1593
  CD-ROM with authoring system containing four books illustrating its use: $17
  ------------------------------------
  Sterling Software
  1404 Ft. Crook Rd. South
  Bellevue, NE  68005-2969
  800 643-NEWS, 402 291-2108, 402 291-4362, [e-mail]
  uunet!sparky!cdnews, ftp.uu.net:/vendor/sterling
  NetNews/CD: Usenet news on CD-ROM
  ------------------------------------
  TigerSoftware
  800 Douglas Entrance
  Executive Tower, 7th FLoor
  Coral Gables, Florida 33134
  24-hour FAX: [phone]
  ------------------------------------
  Updata Publications, Inc. (CD-ROM Guide)
  1736 Westwood Blvd
  Los Angeles, CA 90024
  310-474-5900   800-882-2844   310-474-4095 (Fax)
  ------------------------------------
  Walnut Creek CDROM
  1547 Palos Verdes Mall
  Suite 260
  Walnut Creek, CA  94596
  1 800 786-9907, 1 510 947-5996, 1 510 947-1644 FAX
  Snapshots of major internet archives on CD-ROM
  ------------------------------------
  Wayzata Technology Inc.
  P.O. Box 807
  Grand Rapids MN  55744
  1 800 735-7321  Call for catalog
==========================================================================
1b. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in Europe?

  ------------------------------------
  British Software Licensing
  280 (T/L) West Princes Street
  Woodlands
  Glasgow   G4 9EU
  United Kingdom
  [phone], Fax [phone], [e-mail]
  ------------------------------------
  CD-ROM Jacob
  Aarstrasse 98
  CH-3005 Bern
  Switzerland
  ------------------------------------
  CD ROM (UK) Ltd
  8 Sheep St, Highworth
  Swindon, Wiltshire SN6 7AA
  United Kingdom
  44-0793-861146,  44-0793-765331 (Fax)
  ------------------------------------
  EBSCO Subscription Services
  3 Tyers Gate
  London SE1 3HX
  United Kingdom
  44-71-357-7516
  ------------------------------------
  Faxon Europe, B.V.
  Postbus 197
  1000 AD Amsterdam
  The Netherlands
  31 (20) 91-05-91,  31 (20) 91-17-35 (Fax)
  ------------------------------------
  Micro Haus Limited
  P.O. Box 149
  Gloucester
  GL3 4EF
  United Kingdom
  ------------------------------------
  Mountain Rose Multi Media
  Kikkerveen 331
  3205 XC  Spijkenisse
  The Netherlands.
  Phone: [phone] / Fax:   [phone] / Email: [e-mail]
  ------------------------------------
  STARCOM
  International Computer Services
  Limburggasse 45
  A-9073 Klagenfurt-Viktring
  Austria
  [phone], [phone] FAX
  ------------------------------------
  WasaWare Oy
  Palosaarentie 31
  SF-65200 VAASA
  Finland
  Telephone & Fax: [phone], Email: [e-mail]
==========================================================================
1c. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in Asia?

  ------------------------------------
  Software Studio
  Shop 217
  Olympia Shopping Center
  255 King's Road
  North Point
  Hong Kong
  [phone] FAX
  ------------------------------------
  UniForce System Ltd.
  903 Kin Tak Fung Comm. Bldg
  467-473 Hennessy Road
  Hong Kong
  Voice: [phone]  Fax: [phone]
  ------------------------------------
  Cache Computer
  Shop 29, G/Fl., Golden Shopping Centre
  146-152 Fuk Wah st., Shamshuipo
  Kowloon
  Hong Kong
  Voice: [phone], FAX: [phone]
==========================================================================
1d. What are some good sources of CD-ROM discs in Australia/New Zealand?
  ------------------------------------
  The Cave MegaBBS
  PO Box 2009
  Wellington
  New Zealand
  BBS: [phone] V22b, [phone] FAX, [e-mail]
  ------------------------------------
  CompuCD
  GPO Box 1624
  Canberra City
  ACT 2601
  Australia
  fax: [phone]
  ------------------------------------
  Ilb Computing
  48 Nebo Drive
  Figtree Heights
  NSW  2525
  Australia
  [phone]
  ------------------------------------
  Logicware
  1 Riverbank Off. Vil.
  Cnr 1st St. & O'Shea Ter.
  Katherine, N'rn Terr. 0850
  Australia
  fax: [phone]
==========================================================================
2. Can you recommend a good CD-ROM drive?
  ------------------------------------
  The NEC CD-ROM drives 336,37,73,74,83, etc. have received many favorable
  recommendations.  NEC CD-ROM drive information can be FAX'ed to you.  Call
  NEC Fastfacts at 800-366-0476, and then follow the directions.  You will
  be prompted for a Catalog or Product Number.  Catalog Number 2 is for
  CD-ROM and Product Number 730101 is for the CRD-73M and 730100 is for the
  CDR-73.  Similarly for the CDR-37.  No information was available on the
  CD-74.  You will be prompted for your 10-digit FAX number and your local
  voice telephone number.  If you haven't received your FAX with 30 minutes
  try again.  For international callers, the Fastfacts FAX number is
  [phone]x2621.  You can get documents, and drivers, from the NEC
  BBS at [phone].
  ------------------------------------
  DAK has a slow but reliable drive for $199.  For an extra $49 you can get
  a bundle of discs.

  DAK Industries Incorporated
  8200 Remmet Avenue
  Canoga Park, CA 91304
  Orders: 818-888-8220, 800-DAK-0800
  Technical information: 800-888-9818
  ------------------------------------
  The Pioneer DRM-600 6-disk changer drive is available for $979 from
  Kintronics Computer Products
  3 Westchester Plaza
  Elmsford, NY 10523
  914-347-2530 or 800-431-1658 attention Neal Allen

  It is also distributed by Peripheral Solution, in Santa Cruz, 408-425-8280
==========================================================================
3. Where can I get caddies?

  Here are a few sources of caddies:
  ---------------------------------------------------------------
  CD-ROM INC
  1667 Cole Blvd
  Suite 400
  Golden, CO  80401
  1 800 821-5245
  Call for the latest price.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  Digital Audio Disc Corp.
  1800 North Fruitridge Ave.
  Terre Haute, IN  47804
  [phone]
  Sony Caddies "Made in Japan", 1000 for $4100
  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  EDUCORP
  7434 Trade Street
  San Diego, CA 92121-2410
  1-800-843-9497
  $55 for 10
  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  QB Products
  1260 Karl Court
  Wauconda, IL  60084
  [phone]  [phone]
  Sony Caddies "Made in USA", 10 for $54, 1000 for $3900
  ----------------------------------------------------------------
  Walnut Creek CDROM
  1547 Palos Verdes Mall
  Suite 260
  Walnut Creek, CA 94596
  [phone], [phone], [phone] FAX
  Sony caddies "Made in Japan" - $4.95 each, $450 for 100
==========================================================================
4. Are there any good periodicals and publications on CD-ROMs?

  ------------------------------------------------------------
  A catalog describing CD-ROM publications and a newsletter is available from

  Future Systems
  P.O. Box 26
  Falls Church, VA 22040

  Telephone 800-323-DISC or 703-241-1799
  One of their books contains a list of about 1500 CD-ROM's.
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  CD-ROM Professional is a bi-monthly magazine with product reviews,
  technical articles, industry news, etc.  This is a "must read" for
  anyone in the CD-ROM business.  $39.95/year

  CD-ROM Professional Magazine
  462 Danbury Road
  Wilton, CT 06897
  [phone]
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  "The CD-ROM Directory" is available on either paper or CD-ROM from

  UniDisc
  3941 Cherryvale Avenue,
  Soqeul, CA 95073
  [phone]
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  "CD-ROM Collecion Builder's Toolkit, 1992 Edition"
  Paul T. Nicholls
  Eight Bit Books, Weston, CT
  ISBN: 0-910-96502-1
  $39.95
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  CD-ROMS IN PRINT 1992
    An International Guide to CD-ROM, CD-I, CDTV & Electronic Book Products
  Meckler Publishing
  11 Ferry Lane West
  Westport, CT  06880
  ------------------------------------------------------------
  Newsgroups and mailing lists:

  On the internet, the best source of information is the newsgroup
  alt.cd-rom, which is linked to the BITNET list CDROM-L.
  You can subscribe to CDROM-L by sending the following command to
  [e-mail]:
        SUBSCRIBE CDROM-L Your full name

  The internet newsgroup comp.multimedia is a good source of information
  on multimedia topics.

  CDROMLAN (available on usenet as bit.listserv.cdromlan) covers the
  use of CD-ROM products on local area or wide area networks.  You can
  join the list be sending the following command to
  [e-mail]:
        SUBSCRIBE CDROMLAN Your full name

  CD-ROMs are in heavy use in libraries and government document
  repositories, both for access to indexes and for distribution of
  government data.  The relevant lists are PACS-L
  (bit.listserv.pacs-l) and GOVDOC-L (bit.listserv.govdoc-l).
  Send to [e-mail]:
        SUBSCRIBE GOVDOC-L Your full name
  Send to [e-mail]
        SUBSCRIBE PACS-L Your full name

  Discussions of music on CD can be found in rec.music.cd.

==========================================================================
5. Why are CD-ROM drives so slow?

   Compact discs were originally designed for music.  When you are
   listening to "Willie Nelson's Greatest Hits", you are accessing the
   data sequentially and at a very regular speed.  The only time you need
   to seek is when you decide to skip over a song, or back up and listen
   to "Always on my Mind" one more time.

   In order to fit as much music as possible onto the disc, the data
   is recorded at the same linear density near the outer edge of the disc
   as it is near the center, so there is more information in the outside
   tracks than in the inside tracks.  In order to deliver a steady rate
   of data, the linear velocity of the disc moving under the head is
   constant, so the angular velocity of the disc changes when the head
   moves from the center toward the outside tracks.  This is no big deal
   when you are playing music, but when you are trying to do random access
   to a CD-ROM, the need to accelerate and decelerate the disc is the biggest
   obstacle to making it faster.  Most magnetic discs spin at a constant
   angular velocity, so the data density decreases toward the outside of the
   disk, but seeks are faster.

   A few other reasons that CD-ROMs are slow:  Optical disc heads tend to be
   heavier than magnetic disk heads, so they have more inertia, and take
   longer to stablize onto a new track.  Many CD-ROMs contain too much data
   to make effective use of RAM caches.

   As time goes by, CD-ROM drives will get a little faster, but don't expect
   any miracles.

==========================================================================
6. Is it important to have a fast CD-ROM?  Does 300ms vs 700ms really matter?

   It depends on what applications you will be using.  Many CD-ROMs
   are just big archives of stuff, and you can copy individual programs
   to your hard disk before using them so speed is not really very
   important.  But if you are going to be using large ramdom-access
   databases, or any kind of interactive multi-media applications, then
   the speed difference is very noticeable.

==========================================================================
7. Is it important to buy a fully SCSI compatible drive?

   Several CD-ROM drives only support a sub-set of SCSI, and usually
   come with their own semi-SCSI controller card.  Full SCSI compatible
   drives usually cost more, but are better if you already have a SCSI
   controller and want to daisy chain several devices, or if you want to
   be able to use the drive on different machine types.

==========================================================================
8. How much does it cost to make a CD-ROM?

  You can get a master made for about $1300, and then about $1.50 per
  disc for duplication.  So to make 1000 discs, it will cost you about
  ($1300 + (1000 * 1.50)) = $2800.  Publishers often have `first-timer'
  specials with steep discounts off the list price.  For instance, DMI
  recently had a special of mastering, 50 discs, and two hours of tech
  support for $750.

  If you only want a few discs, you can have single ISO-9660 `one-offs'
  made for about $200 for the first disc, and $100 for additional copies.
==========================================================================
9. Where can I get a CD-ROM published?

  I have used both of these companies, and highly recommend either:

    Digital Audio Disc Corporation
    1800 North Fruitridge Avenue
    Terre Haute, IN 47803
    812-462-8100, 812-466-9125 FAX

    Disc Manufacturing Inc.
    4905 Moores Mill Road
    Huntsville, AL 35810
    800-433-DISC, 205-859-9042, 205-859-9932 FAX

    DADC is a subsidiary of Sony, and DMI is a subsidiary of Philips.
    A more detailed list of 25 publishers in 8 countries is available via
    anonymous ftp in cdrom.com:/pub/publshrs.

  If you only want to make one disc, or just a few copies, there are
  several companies that offer this service:

    On-Site CD
    Saratoga, CA
    [phone]
    ISO-9660, Mac HFS, Call for price

    Optical Media International
    San Jose, CA
    [phone]
    [e-mail]
    ISO-9660, Mac HFS, Call for price

    Walnut Creek CDROM
    1547 Palos Verdes Mall
    Suite 260
    Walnut Creek, CA  94596
    1-800-786-9907, [phone], FAX: [phone], [e-mail]
    ISO-9660, $195, $95 each for additional copies

    Young Minds Inc.
    1910 Orange Tree Lane
    Suite 300
    Redlands, CA  92374
    714 335-1350, 714 798-0488 FAX, yngmnds![e-mail]
    Rock Ridge (Unix), $950

==========================================================================
10. Where can I find equipment to make my own CD-ROMs?

  If you want to do single copy `one-offs', or low volume CD production,
  there are recorders announced by JVC, Philips and Sony.

  JVC Personal ROM-Maker       $12500 (complete system, including software)
  Philips CDD-521               $5500 (+ $1900 for software)
  Sony CDW-900E                $10000 (???)

  You can buy the Philips drive with CDGEN software for ISO-9660
  discs from DataDisc (1-800-328--2347) for $7895.  They recommend
  that you use it with the Adaptec 1542 SCSI Card.

  Optical Media International (1-408-376-3511, [e-mail])
  has Macintosh HFS premastering software for the Philips CDD-521.  The
  program is called "Quicktopics" and the cost is $2500.

  Here are some phone numbers you can call for more info:

  JVC Product Information:            [phone]
  Philips Consumer Electronics:       [phone]
  Sony Computer Peripheral Products:  [phone]

  The blank discs for these drives cost about $40 each.  They are not
  the same as a normal CD.  The metal data surface is gold instead of
  aluminum.  The recorder uses a high powered laser to burn pits in
  the metal film.  It takes about half an hour to burn each disc.

==========================================================================
11. How much information will fit on a CD-ROM?

  It depends on the drive.  Almost all CD-ROM drives will handle up to
  650 megabytes with no problems.  Many newer drives can read discs with
  over 700 megs.

  The CD-ROM Users Group (see above) has a diagnostic CD-ROM that
  will tell you how much information your drive can handle.

==========================================================================
12. Why doesn't MSCDEX work with DOS 5.0?

  You must use SETVER with MS-DOS 5.0, to make MSCDEX 2.20 work properly.
  Otherwise you will get an incorrect DOS version message.  See the MS-DOS
  5.0 documentation on how to use SETVER.  MSCDEX 2.21 works with MS-DOS 5.0
  without SETVER.
==========================================================================
13. Where can I get the latest version of MSCDEX?

  Call MS BBS at 206-936-4082.  Choose F for file library, S UPDATES, F to
  list files, then D MSCDEX.ZIP to download the file.  (Microsoft may have
  deleted this file.)

  You can get the latest version of MSCDEX (2.21) in a self-extracting zip
  archive via anonymous ftp from cdrom.com:/pub/cdext.exe.

  You can get the latest MSCDEX extensions by email by sending a blank
  message to [e-mail].

==========================================================================
14. I bought a used drive at a garage sale.  Where can I find a driver for it?

  NEC, Philips and Sony have BBS's where you might be able to find drivers
  for their drives:

  NEC BBS:      [phone]
  Philips BBS:  [phone]
  Sony BBS:     [phone]

  Toshiba operates a bulletin board in Compuserve.
  Jim Rohrer, Chief Sysop,  76702,[e-mail]
  They promise an answer within 24 hours.

==========================================================================
15. What is the difference between `High Sierra' and ISO-9660?

  Not much.  When the standard was first proposed, it was given the name
  "High Sierra'.   Later it was adopted as an offical standard, with a few
  minor modifications, and was designated ISO-9660.  Usually when someone
  says "High Sierra", they really mean ISO-9660.
==========================================================================
16. Where can I get a copy of the ISO-9660 standard?

  You can order a copy of the ISO-9660 standard from

  ANSI
  Attn: Sales
  11 West 42nd Street
  New York, NY 10036
  212-642-4900

  Cost to US destinations is $50, plus $6 shipping, check or money order.
==========================================================================
17. What is an HFS disc?

  HFS is the Macintosh's Hierarchical Filing System.  It is unrelated
  to High Sierra and ISO-9660 formats.  Most CD-ROMs intended for the
  Macintosh are created in the HFS format, since HFS does support the
  Mac's resource and data forks and file information.  So far, only
  the Macintosh and the Apple II can read HFS discs (as far as I know).

  There is a driver made by Xetec that allows HFS discs to be read on
  an Amiga.  There is a list of differences that the driver contends with,
  such as non-standard characters and 32 character filenames (Amiga supports
  only 30).

[ If anyone can tell me where the HFS specs can be obtained, I will include
  that information here. ]
==========================================================================
18. Can you give a short explaination of ISO-9660?

  ISO-9660 is an international standard that defines a filesystem for
  CD-ROMs.  Almost all systems support ISO-9660.

  Level one ISO-9660 is similar to an MS-DOS filesystem.  Filenames are
  limited to eight single-case characters, a dot, and a three character
  extension.  Filenames cannot contain special characters, (no hyphens,
  tildes, equals, or pluses).  Only single case letters, numbers, and
  underscores.  Directory names cannot have the three digit extension,
  just eight single-case characters.

  All alphabetics are in UPPER case; some software maps this to lower case.
  Either the file name or the extension may be empty, but not both ("F."
  and ".E" are both legal file names).

  There is a "File Version Number" which can range from 1-32767, and is
  separated from the extension by a semi-colon.  The file version number
  is ignored on many systems.

  Here are some examples of legal and illegal filenames:

         Legal                   Illegal                 Why
        TEST_1C.TXT             TEST-1C.TXT             hyphen
        TEST1C.TXT              TEST 1C.TXT             space
        TEST.1C                 TEST.1C.TXT             more than 1 period
        README                  Readme                  not single case

  Subdirectories are allowed to nest up to eight levels deep.

  Level two ISO-9660 allows longer filenames, up to 32 characters.
  But many of the other restrictions still apply.  Level two discs
  are not useable on some systems, particularly MS-DOS.

==========================================================================
19. What the heck does `Red Book', `Yellow Book', etc. mean?

  "Red Book" is the common name of the "Compact Disc Digital Audio
  Standard".  When a disc conforms to the red book standard, it will
  usually have "digital audio" printed below the "disc" logo.  Most music
  CDs conform to this standard.

  "Yellow Book" is the standard for CD-ROM.  When a disc conforms to the
  yellow book, it will usually say "data storage" beneath the "disc" logo.

  "Green Book" is the CD-I (compact disc interactive) standard.

  "Orange Book" is the standard for write-once compact discs.

  "Blue Book" is the standard for LaserDisc.

  You can get the Red Book and Yellow Book from

      ANSI
      Attn: Sales
      1430 Broadway
      New York, NY  10018
      [phone]

      Red Book:       CEI IEC 908
      Yellow Book:    ISO 10149:1989

   You can get the Green Book from

      American CD-I Association
      11111 Santa Monica, Suite 750
      Los Angeles, CA  90025
      [phone]

  [If anyone can tell me where the other standards are available, I will
  include that information here.]
==========================================================================
20. What is CD-I?

  CD-I means "Compact Disc Interactive".  It is meant to provide a standard
  platform for mass consumer interactive multimedia applications.  So it is
  more akin to CD-DA, in that it is a full specification for both the
  data/code _and_ standalone playback hardware:  a CD-I player has a CPU,
  RAM, ROM, OS, and audio/video/(MPEG) decoders built into it.  Portable
  players add an LCD screen and speakers/phonejacks.

  If you want information about Philips CD-I products, you can call these
  numbers:
               US: Consumer hotline:    [phone]
                   For nearest store:   800-223-7772
                   Developers hotline:  [phone]

               UK: Philips CD-I hotline: [phone]

==========================================================================
21. What is CD-ROM/XA?

  CD-ROM/XA is an extension to the Yellow Book Standard.  A track on
  a CD-ROM/XA disc can contain computer data, compressed audio data,
  and video/picture data.  Many CD-ROM drives do not support CD-ROM/XA.

  CD-ROM/XA extends CD-ROM by adding some of the CD-I disc features (such
  as using Mode 2 tracks with interleaved compressed-audio and other data).
  Thus CD-ROM/XA (eXtended Architecture) is often called the "Bridge" format
  between CD-ROM and CD-I... though the relationship is mostly the sector
  types.  CD-ROM/XA applications still require specific code for each target
  platform.
==========================================================================
22. What are the Rock Ridge extensions?

  The Rock Ridge extensions use some undefined fields in the ISO-9660 standard
  to allow full unix-like filenames, symbolic links, and deep directories.

  "Rock Ridge" is named after the town in the movie "Blazing Saddles" for no
  particular reason.

  To receive a copy of the current version of the Rock Ridge specifications,
  please contact Bob Niland, e-mail [e-mail], fax [phone].  You
  can ftp the Rock Ridge specs from cdrom.com: /pub/rockridge.

  For information on Rock Ridge at Sun, try [e-mail] or
  [e-mail].

  For information on Unix-based premastering software supporting the Rock Ridge
  extensions contact:

  Young Minds Inc.
  1910 Orange Tree Lane
  Suite 300
  Redlands, CA  92374
  714 335-1350
  714 798-0488 FAX
  yngmnds![e-mail]
==========================================================================
23. Is a short technical introduction to these standards available?

  The file ftp.apple.com(130.43.2.3): /pub/cd-rom/cd-rom.summary gives
  a short techie introduction to compact disc technology.

  ----

  There is a good short general article on CD-Rom and its's many
  variations (CD-XA, CD-I, CDTV, PhotoCD) called MULTIMEDIA IN A MUDDLE
  by Barry Fox in the New Scientist (London, ISSN# 0262-4079) vol. 131
  no. 1787 (Sep 21, 1991) pp.35-38

  ----
  There is a good brief explaination of all these standards in the paper

      "Compact Disc Terminology"
      Nancy Klocko
      Disc Manufacturing Inc.
      1409 Foulk Road, Suite 202
      Wilmington, DE  19803
      1-800-433-DISC

  Here is some information from the paper:

  Standards:

  Red Book == CD-Audio

  Yellow Book == CD-ROM
    Mode-1 is for computer data
    Mode-2 is for compressed audio data and video/picture data

  CD-ROM/XA == an EXTENSION to Yellow Book and defines a new type of track.

    CD-ROM Mode 2, XA Format, is used for computer data, compressed audio
    data, and video/picture data.  A CD-ROM / XA track may interleave Mode 2
    compressed audio and Mode 2 data sectors.  Additional hardware is needed
    to separate these when playing the disc.  The hardware is programmed to
    separate the audio from the data, decompress the audio and play it out
    through the audio jacks.  At the same time, the hardware passes the data
    to the computer.

    NOTE:  Additional hardware is needed to play a CD-ROM / XA disc.  Several
    vendors offer an XA interface board that will allow an existing CD-ROM
    drive to play CD-ROM / XA discs.

    Green Book == Compact Disc Interactive (CD-I)

    Orange Book == Recordable Compact disc Standard
      Part I - CD-MO (Magneto Optical)
        Consists of optional Pre-Mastered (READ-ONLY) area and a Recordable
        (re-writable) user area.
      Part II - CD-WO (Write Once)
        Orange Book Part II also defines a second type of CD-WO disk called
        a "Hybrid Disc".  This disc consists of a Pre-recorded Area and a
        Recordable Area.  The Pre-recorded area is a READ ONLY area where
        the information is manufactured into the disc.  (This area is written
        per the Red, Yellow, and Green Book specifications, and can be played
        on any CD-Player.)  The Recordable areas are where additional
        recordings can be made in one or more sessions.  Only the first
        session on the disc is readable by todays CD-Players; additional
        software will be needed to read the additional sessions.

        A TOC (Table of Contents) is written during each recording session.
        Disc will have multiple TOCs, one for each recording session.

        Photo-CD is an example of a "Hybrid Disc".

     CD-Bridge Disc

        The CD-Bridge Disc defines a way to add additional information in
        a CD-ROM / XA track in order to allow the track to be played on a
        CD-I player.  the result is a disc that can be played on both a
        CD-I player connected to a TV set and on a CD-ROM / XA player
        connected to a computer.

        An example of a CD-Bridge Disc is the new Photo-CD disc.  The
        Photo-CD disc will be playable in CD-I players, Kodak's Photo CD
        players and in computers using CD-ROM/XA drives.

     Photo-CD
        The Photo CDs will be Mode 2 Form 1 sectors per the CD-ROM / XA
        specifications.  The disc will be written per the Orange Book Part
        II "Hybrid Disc" specifications.  This will allow photographs to be
        written to the disc in several different sessions.  Additionally,
        the disc will use the CD-Bridge disc format to allow the disc to be
        readable by both CD-I and CD-ROM / XA players.

        The photographs written to the disc in the first session will use
        the ISO 9660 format.  These photographs will be readable with the
        existing CD-ROM / XA players connected to a computer running new
        software written for the Photo CD picture structure.  Additionally,
        the photographs will be displayable on CD-I Players and Photo CD
        Players connected to a TV set.

        Photographs written to disc after the first session will be
        displayable on CD-I Players and Photo CD players.  New software
        and/or firmware will be needed to read these additional photographs
        with existing CD-ROM/XA players.

==========================================================================
24. Are there any ftp sites with good stuff related to CD-ROMs?

  A couple of sites with cdrom related stuff are

  cdrom.com (192.153.46.254): /pub   [ This site is maintained by me. ]

  cs.uwp.edu (131.210.1.4): /pub/cdrom

==========================================================================
25. How do I write an MSDOS program that can access a cdrom using MSCDEX?

  The MSCDEX interface documentation is available on the Microsoft Programmer's
  Library CD-ROM.  This also has detailed specifications for drivers that talk
  to MSCDEX.  It even provides solutions to a number of sticky problems.

  The file mscdex21.zip contains Microsoft's info on how to talk to the
  CD-ROM extensions (MSCDEX.EXE) and a sample DOS application which is crude
  but effective in playing audio tracks.  This file is available via
  anonymous ftp from ftp.cica.indiana.edu:/pub/pc/win3/uploads/mscdex21.zip
  or cdrom.com:/pub/mscdex21.zip.

  MSCDEX programming information can be found in INTER31?.ZIP.  Ralf Brown's
  interrupt bible.  The information is very complete.  The interrupt list
  is available via anonymous ftp from Simtel20 (wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) or
  from the mirror site wuarchive.wustl.edu: /mirrors/msdos/info/inter31?.zip.

  There is a book by Ray Duncan (Microsoft Press) detailing all extensions
  to Dos (XMS, LIM EMS, MSCDEX etc..) which should be available in book
  stores. The title is "MS-DOS EXTENSIONS" ISBN 1-55615-212-4.
==========================================================================
26. How do I mount an ISO-9660 disc on a Sun?

  Su to root and run this command,
    # mount -r -t hsfs /dev/sr0 /cdrom
  or even better, put the following line in your /etc/fstab
    /dev/sr0   /cdrom hsfs ro 0 0
  and then run
    # mount /cdrom

  Don Trimmer, of Delta Microsystems, has written a program that allows
  safe mount/umount operations without requiring super user permissions.
  You can get his program by anonymous ftp from cdrom.com:/pub/mount.c
==========================================================================
27. How do I use a cdrom with OS/2?

  short answer: create a dos system diskette that can access the
  CD-ROM. Copy the diskette onto the os/2 harddisk using the VMDISK
  command. Attach the image file created by VMDISK to a program icon.

  -----

  OS/2 has builtin support for IBM drives, and for SCSI third party
  drives.  The Sony CDU 541 works well.

  What you need to do if you don't have one of the supported drives, is
  use the OS/2 command VMDISK to create a bootable "diskette image" on your
  hard disk.  On the diskette image file, you will copy a CONFIG.SYS file,
  an AUTOEXEC.BAT, and the drivers you require for your CDROM.  This feature
  allows you use any driver with OS/2.  The down side is that you can't
  access the device in the image box from any OS/2 window.  You have to use
  the bootable image box to copy files back and forth between the image box
  and any other.  If you have one of the supported drives, you can access it
  from any box.

  -------

  The VMDISK technique is only needed for unsupported, mainly non-SCSI
  drives.  Some unsupported SCSI drives, such as the NEC CDR-84, work
  fine with OS/2

  The only thing to do in order to make some unsupported SCSI CD-ROM
  drives work (as a data CD-ROM, MM is another problem) is to patch the
  vendor ID string into \OS2\CDROM.SYS. Simply replace "TOSHIBA " by
  "NEC     ", etc. i.e. with blank-padding to eight characters. This is
  known to work with NEC and SONY drives. It does not work with some
  Matsushita (Panasonic) drives.

==========================================================================
28. Which CD-ROM Drives will work with MicroSoft Windows-NT?

  The Microsoft(R) Windows NT(TM) operating system is designed to
  support a broad range of hardware.  This is a preliminary list of
  hardware that we have run Windows NT on to date.  This is a subset of
  the hardware we expect to support in the final product.

  The following hardware has undergone preliminary testing for this
  release.  We have not tested every machine and/or device in all
  possible configurations.  Microsoft makes no warranties express or
  implied in this document.

  disk controllers:
    100% Register Compatible with WD1003 - ESDI, IDE, WD1003
    Compaq Intelligent Drive Array
    SCSI(R)
    Adaptec AHA-1540b, AHA-1542b, AHA-1640, AHA-1740
    Future Domain TMC-845, TMC-850, TMC-850M(ER), MCS-700 (7), TMC-1660 (7)
      TMC-1680 (7), TMC-7000EX
    IBM SCSI Host Adapter (10)
    Maynard 16 Bit SCSI Adapter (11)
    NCR 53C700
    Olivetti ESC - 1 Adapter
    Built-in SCSI on MIPS ARC/R4000 systems from :  Acer, MIPS and Olivetti

  CD-ROM devices:
    CD Technology CD Porta-Drive T-3301
    Chinon CDX-431
    Denon(R) DRD 253
    Hitachi(R) CDR-1750S
    NEC Intersect CDR-73(M), Intersect CDR-84
    Pioneer(R) DRM-600
    Sony(R) CDU-541, CDU-6211, CDU-7211
    Toshiba XM-3201, TXM-3301

  (7)  A driver that supports both Setup and File I/O for the Future
       Domain MCS-700, and TMC-16X0 series controllers will be posted to
       CompuServe in the WINNT forum, Lib 2 "Fixes and Updates".
  (10) Earlier versions of this controller have proven to have problems
       with various CD-Rom drives. The Chinon CDX-431 and NEC Intersect
       CDR-73 are known to work with this version of controller.
  (11) The Maynard SCSI Adapter can be used as a general purpose SCSI
       controller for all tasks but graphical setup.

==========================================================================
29. How do I read an audio cd track as digital data?

  Most CD-ROM drives cannot decode audio information.  There are
  firmware and data path reasons why it doesn't work.  The drive
  vendors could make drives that allow this feature.

  The only known drive with the capability to read audio tracks is the
  CD-ROM drive sold by Silicon Graphics for use with their Indigo
  workstation.  The SGI drive is a modified Toshiba 3301B.  It has custom
  firmware and custom hardware.  The hardware mods were required because
  the data stream was split very early in the hardware, and there was no
  way to sync up the subcodes and the digital audio data without the
  hardware mods; it was also necessary to suppress the 3rd level ECC, which
  wasn't possible with the original hardware, to prevent the drive from
  doing interpolation when ECC couldn't correct the data on errors.
  The firmware mods were largely in the definition of new commands to do
  the setup and data transfer of the audio data, as well as the format in
  which it is returned over the SCSI bus.  That was one of the more time
  consuming parts of the development of the capability.

  Both Sony and Toshiba may support reading audio (red book) CD's on their
  next generation drives (the dual speed ones), at least, as an option.

  [ There is a rumor that the Future Domain SCSI controller comes with a
  test utility which allows you to read raw data blocks off any type of
  CD.  If you have any first-hand experience, please let me know. ]

==========================================================================
30. Why do CD-ROMs cost so much?

  Here are several answers, take your pick:

  A.  Because too many people are willing to pay the high prices.

  B.  They are not really very expensive when you consider how much data
      they contain.  Even the most expensive CD-ROMs are often cheaper
      than the least expensive floppies when you figure the cost per byte.

  C.  Because there isn't enough competition.  The prices will come down
      when more people buy drives, and more CD-ROM titles are available.
==========================================================================
31. Why do all the bundle deals require me to buy a drive?  What if I
    already have a drive?

   Many disc producers sell outdated or surplus discs at steep discounts
   to be bundled with new drives.  The theory is that the new drive owner
   will find the discs useful, and order the latest version at full price.

   There are some bundle deals that do not require you to buy a new drive.
   For instance, the CD-ROM User's Group (see above) has a bundle of ten
   discs for $99.

==========================================================================
32. Are alt.cd-rom archives available anywhere?

   I don't know if there is an ftp site anywhere that archives alt.cd-rom,
   but you can retrieve old articles via email:

     For a list of files available, send the message
       INDEX CDROM-L
     as the first line of your e-mail message to:
       [e-mail]
     or the Internet form of address:
       [e-mail]

    To retrieve an archived message, send the e-mail message
      GET CDROM-L LOGyymm
    or  SENDME CDROM-L LOGyymm      as above
    where yymm is the year and month of the archive wanted.
    e.g. LOG9110 = Log of October 91 messages.

==========================================================================
33. What is the shelf-life of a CD-ROM?

  If a CD-ROM is not manufactured properly, the lifetime can be very
  short, perhaps only a few years.  This can happen if the edge of the
  disc is not properly sealed, and oxygen reaches the metal surface.

  If the disc is manufactured properly, it will last a very long time.
  Most CD-ROMs should last for more than a human lifetime.

  Philips has proposed new standards for testing CD-ROMs that are expected
  to result in discs that will enjoy a life span of more than a thousand
  years.  For more information see Fox, Barry "CD Makers Perform in Unison
  to Stop the Rot" New Scientist 134(1815) (April 4, 1992):19.

  The laser used in a CD-ROM drive is very low power, and does not
  harm the disc in any way.  Reading the disc will not shorten
  the lifetime.

==========================================================================
34. How should I handle my CD-ROMs?  How do I clean them?

  The following guidelines represent the current thinking for the care
  and handling of CD-ROM discs, by a number of CD-ROM disc and drive
  manufacturers.  The validity and usefulness of most of these
  guidelines have not been substantiated by government testing and
  therefore are presented for information only.

  Wash your hands before contact with the disc.  If available, wear
  lint-free cloth gloves, finger cots, or talc-free latex gloves.

  If you must wipe the disc, do so with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth in
  a radial motion- that is from the inner to the outer hub- not in a
  circular motion around the disc like you might do for a phonograph
  record.  The most devastating scratches are those which occur along a
  radius of the disc which can obscure a long stream of pits.

  Certain cleaning agents and solvents can damage the discs.  Some of
  these include: gasoline, paint thinners, benzine, acetone, carbon
  tetrachloride, chlorinated cleaning solvents, ammonia, and household
  detergents which contain ammonia.  Do not clean with a water soaked
  cloth.  The use of Isopropyl alcohol, the ingredient in many
  commercial CD cleaning products, as well as certain waxes and acrylic
  liquids, is still questionable.

  Do not clean the label side of the disc.

  Use of a CD-ROM caddy is highly recommended during transport and
  operation.  Limit the amount of physical contact with the disc.

  Always handle the disc by the outer edge and/or the inner (hole) edge.
  Never touch the data surface.

  Discs like to "live" in the same conditions that people do; that is:
  They don't like to be manhandled
  They don't like exposure to temperature extremes
  They don't like exposure to excess humidity
  They don't like exposure to high intensity UV light

  Ron Kushnier, Chairman
  Compact Disc- Reliability & Integrity of Media Working Group of
  The Special Interest Group on CD-ROM Applications and Technology
  Code 5053
  Naval Air Warfare Center
  Warminster, PA. 18974
  [phone]
  FAX [phone]
==========================================================================
35. Which drives will work with Kodak Photo CD?

  According to Kodak, the following drives are compatible:

        Magnavox CDD461
        Sony CDU-6205
             CDU-535
        NEC CDR-73
            CDR-37

  The NEC CDR-83 is probably OK, too, but there are problems with
  the NEC CDR-74 and CDR-84 drives.

 To view more than just the first recorded session, you need a multisession
 drive.  Apparently these drives are single session only.

==========================================================================
36. What is a multisession CD drive?

  A CD has an "index" area which contains track details; this is what is
  read when you first stick an audio CD into a player.  Photo-CDs have a
  separate index area each time they are written (because it is impossible
  to "update" the index area). A multisession drive is one that knows to
  look for multiple index areas. The full details are contained in the
  Philips/Sony/Kodak "Orange Book" standard for writable CDs.

  The issues of CD-WO and how multsessions are recorded are addressed in the
  European Computer Manufacture Association (ECMA)  new standard ECMA 168,
  which became a standard in June of this year.  The title of the standard is
  "Volume and File Structure of Read-Only and Write-Once Compact Disc Media
  for Information Interchange".  This standard expands upon the ISO-9660
  CD-ROM standard.

==========================================================================
37. Where can I get some information about the Kodak Photo CD?

  To learn more about Photo CD products or other KODAK desktop color
  imaging products, contact Eastman Kodak Company at 1-800-242-2424 Ext 51.

  Or send inquiries to the following address:

     EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY
     Kodak Information Center
     Dept. E. 343 State Street
     Rochester, NY 14650-0811

  There is an excellent article on PhotoCD in the Sept 92 issue of
  Photographic Magazine.

  Eastman Kodak Co recently released Photo CD Access, which is designed
  to allow users to integrate CD images into any Windows or Macintosh
  Application.  Requires a CD ROM XA (Extended Architecture) drive.
  Most popular image formats are supported, including TIFF, GIF, TARGA
  and PICT.  Kodak sells the software directly.  $39.95, 1-800-242-2424.

  A developer's kit is available for $695 and includes source code as well
  as object for PC/MAC.

  The maximum resolution is 3072 X 2048, 24 bit color.

==========================================================================
38. Where can I get maps of the US on CD-ROM?

  The USGS is producing a series of cds that contain 1:100,000 scale
  digital line graph (DLG) data. Presently, only Florida is available.
  Also, 1:2,000,000 DLG cd is available for the US.  Call 1-800-USA-MAPS
  for more info.

==========================================================================