CD-ROMs are stamped by the vendor, and once stamped, they cannot be erased and filled with new data. To read a CD, you need a CD-ROM player. All CD-ROMs conform to a standard size and format, so you can load any type of CD-ROM into any CD-ROM player. In addition, CD-ROM players are capable of playing audio CDs, which share the same technology.

CD-ROMs are particularly well-suited to information that requires large storage capacity. This includes large software applications that support color, graphics, sound, and especially video.

Also see Understanding CD Burner Speeds in the Did You Know . . . ? section of Webopedia.

Optical Technologies Overview 
Outlines the optical technologies used by a CD-ROM drive and the various associated CD standards. Includes graphics, diagrams and an integrated glossary. This page is from "The PC Technology Guide."

CD-ROM LAN FAQ
Provides answers to questions on CD-ROM networking solutions and links to related newsgroups, publications, and FTP sites.

PC Guide's CD-ROM reference
Extensive coverage of CD-ROM drives and technology. Describes how the CD-ROM drive works. Covers CD media and the different formats, CD-recordable and CD-rewriteable technology, performance and reliability, and interface and configuration issues.