CompuServe Messages

I bought one of the Magnavox CDD461's about three months ago and have been very pleased with it, although I bought mine for looking at reference works — mostly straight text on CD — and so, wasn't horribly concerned about the speed issue or MPC compatability. Heckuva deal at $299 and I'd buy another one again in a minute. However, if you're buying a drive for kids' educational programs and games, speed IS an issue and I doubt that you'll be happy with the slower Maganavox at 680ms. The newer Multimedia PC standards call for a _minimum_ of 500ms in order to get video clips to play properly. (For just a little more money, have you looked at the new Phillips CD-I boxes? I saw one the other evening at a local electronics store with a small mob of adults around it, playing Sesame Street! A better game machine than either a PC or a Ninetendo and it'll keep the little beasties off your keyboard!) –Bill