Optical Disk

A storage medium from which data is read and to which it is written by lasers. Optical disks can store much more data — up to 6 gigabytes (6 billion bytes) — than most portable magnetic media, such as floppies. There are three basic types of optical disks:

  • CD-ROM :Like audio CDs, CD-ROMs come with data already encoded onto them. The data is permanent and can be read any number of times, but CD-ROMs cannot be modified.
  • WORM : Stands for write-once, read -many. With a WORM disk drive, you can writedata onto a WORM disk, but only once. After that, the WORM disk behaves just like a CD-ROM.
  • erasable: Optical disks that can be erased and loaded with new data, just like magnetic disks. These are often referred to as EO (erasable optical) disks.
  • These three technologies are not compatible with one another; each requires a different type of disk drive and disk. Even within one category, there are many competing formats, although CD-ROMs are relatively standardized.

    Vangie Beal
    Vangie Beal
    Vangie Beal is a freelance business and technology writer covering Internet technologies and online business since the late '90s.
    Get the Free Newsletter
    Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
    This email address is invalid.
    Get the Free Newsletter
    Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis
    This email address is invalid.

    Related Articles

    Complete List of Cybersecurity Acronyms

    Cybersecurity news and best practices are full of acronyms and abbreviations. Without understanding what each one means, it's difficult to comprehend the significance of...

    Human Resources Management System

    A Human Resources Management System (HRMS) is a software application that supports many functions of a company's Human Resources department, including benefits administration, payroll,...

    How To Defend Yourself Against Identity Theft

    Almost every worldwide government agency responsible for identity theft issues will tell you the same thing: The first step to fighting identity theft is...

    Infographic

    An infographic is a visual representation of information or data. It combines the words information and graphic and includes a collection of imagery, charts,...

    ScalaHosting

    ScalaHosting is a leading managed hosting provider that offers secure, scalable, and affordable...

    HRIS

    Human resources information system (HRIS) solutions help businesses manage multiple facets of their...

    Best Managed Service Providers...

    In today's business world, managed services are more critical than ever. They can...