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CD Drives
Home » Computer Hardware » Storage Devices » CD DrivesOne of the most familiar types of storage devices is the Compact Disc (CD). A CD is flat, round, and can store giant amounts of digital information. In fact, most can hold more than 783 MB. The CD surface is composed of a mirror that is covered with tiny bumps. These bumps are arranged in a tightly wound spiral and are so small that they have to be measured in microns. The CD player reads the bumps with a laser and interprets the information into bits of data.
A CD is incredibly lightweight. Most of the mass is an injection-molded piece of clear polycarbonate plastic that holds the bumps of data. During manufacturing, the microscopic bumps are pressed into the plastic in a long, spiral track. A thin aluminum layer is then coated on top in order to protect the bumps.
Data is interpreted on from a CD when a laser beam passes through the polycarbonate layer. The laser then reflects of the layer and it’s a device that changes the light. Because of this change in reflectivity, the electronics in the CD-drive interpret the data.
CD’s are incredibly easy to use. Simply place them into the CD Drive and your computer will start reading it immediately. To open the information on a CD, you can either click on the window that appears when you first place the CD in the computer, or go to “My Computer” and click on the CD drive. For most computers, the CD drive is also known as the D: drive. If you would like to place data onto the CD, however, you will need another device known as a recordable CD.
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