CD AND DVD DRIVES

CD-ROM discs look just like the compact discs you play on your audio system. Data is encoded in microscopic pits below the disc's surface and is read from the CD-ROM via a drive that uses a consumer-grade laser. The laser beam follows the tracks of the disc and reads the pits, translating the data into a form your computer can understand.

NOTE

DVD Versus CD

Many new PCs come with combination CD/DVD drives. DVD drives work just like CD-ROM drives, although DVDs can hold more data 4.7GB versus 700MB for a typical CD-ROM. In addition, most DVD drives play full-length DVD movies, which turns your PC into a mini movie machine.