Last modified: Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Known by its abbreviation, CD, a compact disc is a polycarbonate with one or more metal layers capable of storing digital information. The most prevalent types of compact discs are those used by the music industry to store digital recordings and CD-ROMs used to store computer data. Both of these types of compact disc are read-only, which means that once the data has been recorded onto them, they can only be read, or played. Also see Understanding CD Burner Speeds in the Did You Know . . . ? section of Webopedia.
	Related Categories CD-ROMs Peripheral Devices Related Terms burn CCITT CD-ROM DVD erasable optical disk mass storage MultiRead new media optical disk Red Book S/PDIF Shopping compact disc Products Compare Products,Prices and Stores Shop by Category: CD ROM Drives 520 Model Matches CD Players 118 Model Matches