CompuServe Messages

Philip, So far none of the one-off discs has died of old age. That's not to say they won't ever do so, of course. It's pretty hard to predict until some have gone bad. The dye is quite stable, and as long as you take reasonable care (don't leave it in the sunlight, don't expose it to writing-wavelength lasers again, don't cause cracks in the plastic, etc. which are the same precautions you should take with any CD), they should last indefinitely. The best made CDs are well sealed against air, moisture, etc. so there shouldn't be any oxidizing going on inside the disk as long as the seal is intact. The same is true of manufactured CDs. If the lacquer is scratched or if the polycarbonate is cracked, their metalized layer can oxidize and become unreliable, too. BTW, the glass master is something used during the manufacturing process — that's not what you get when you buy a CD or CD-ROM. <<Your approach requires a one-off CD-ROM maker. They are still expensive although they are coming down in price.>> The easy way to avoid the capital investment is to get a service bureau to make your one-offs (ahem! bias alert!) If you plan to make enough discs to justify purchasing a one-off system instead of using a service, the cost isn't going to be a big factor, anyway. Kathy <<– The One-Off CD Shop MidSouth, Inc.