CD ROM Prices
Nope, PAS doesn't come in an MCA flavor at this time.
MPC is a new standard for multimedia software/hardware. Basically, MPC's
minimum system requirements are a 386SX, a sound card with MIDI and with
DAC chips, and a CD-ROM drive with a sustainable throughput of at least
150k/sec without using more than 40% of the CPU's bandwidth.
The Sony CDU-541 meets these standards for sure. Others may or may not.
Some companies, even Sony, are apparently trying to sell off their old
stock of non-MPC drives, so you have to be careful about low-cost drive and
bundle deals if you are getting a CD for general use and don't want to have
to buy a new system 6 months or a year from now. Whether MPC becomes THE
standard (and it's off to a good start) or not, it is highly unlikely that
any other standard will specify *slower* or less efficient drives.