... one of the most important components in your pc. Most software usually comes on a CD so you are out of luck if you don't have one. CD-ROM's are popular with software makers because it can hold 650 MB while a floppy can only hold 1.44 MB. The speed associated with the drives determines their transfer rate ... taking up an extra slot. Older CD-ROMs were connected to a controller card that is attached to one of the motherboard's expansion slots. The first CD-ROM drives transferred data at 150KB per second. Speeds doubled to 300KB and continued upward to more than 40 times the original. Acc...

• Word Count: 5237
• Approx Pages: 21
• Grade Level: High School

... all operating systems and applications software comes on CD. It is therefore essential to have a CD-ROM drive for installing your applications. Certain programs requires the CD to be in the CD-ROM drive for that program to run. For example, various encyclopedia and games. CD-ROM can also be used for playing standard audio CD's on your PC. If you are intending ... to watch DVD movies on your PC then you would require a DVD-ROM which can perform all the tasks of a CD-ROM as well as play DVD movies. CD-ROM's come in various speeds, the faster drive, the faster it will install your applicat...

• Word Count: 3074
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... engineered to hold 700Mb. CD's have become the standard way of distributing information to other computers. Nearly every computer in the last five years has included a CD-ROM. Most software is now put on a CD and distributed much as it was years ago with a floppy disk. There are many benefits to using a CD ... can fit on a CD compared to a floppy disk. Compact Disks are highly susceptible to damage and can easily be damaged by scratches and blotches. When buying a CD-ROM, look for a number followed by an X (32X, 44X etc) somewhere in the documentation; this tells you the speed of the driv...

• Word Count: 7384
• Approx Pages: 30
• Grade Level: High School