Opportunities in Photo CD Kodak Photo CD products include not only the disc brands (Master, Pro Master, and Portfolio 11), but also Writable CD, a disc whose purpose is data archiving and transport. With a Kodak or similar CD writer, computer information of any kind can be written to archival quality disc at a modest price and with speedy, random retrieval options. Comparing Writable CD to various other archiving technologies, the value is obvious. DAT and other reel to reel tapes are serial in nature, meaning that the files are written in order, and the retrieval of these files must be serial also - which can be quite slow. While the cost of these reel-to-reel tapes is low, their reliability is not perfect because they are magnetic media, subject to degradation and potential file losses. Removable magnetic disks represent random-access storage, but at a higher price for archiving. SyQuest disks, for example, cost about $.50 per megabyte for the medium, while Kodak Writable CD discs carry a cost per megabyte of about $.03. Magneto-optical disks, which are becoming quite popular in the transport of digital data, have a cost of about $. l 0 per megabyte. Comparing optical technologies to magnetic technologies will also indicate that compact discs are a better and safer place to store critical computer data. Kodak Writable CD discs are multi-session capable, meaning they can be written on numerous occasions. The data cannot be altered or erased ever, making Writable CD a true archival disc. Storage of any archiving medium is at least as important as making the archive. One back-up copy of critical information should be stored off-site so that the back-up is not lost in a building fire or other disaster. Next Colorite Home Page OPTIMIZING PHOTO CD -- MENU