CompuServe Thread

John: For something to really become popular, it has to reach a "critical mass" number of users. That number can be hard to predict. Maybe CDROM's on the Amiga are approaching that critical number needed to surge ahead? Let's hope so! Clint <Chaocity>

Great John, glad to hear that you are going to be writing another article on CDROM for AW. They are always informative and gives good tips on how to, and what's available. Are you going to be reviewing some of the different drives that are available now? My Toshiba 3201B and Chinon 431 drives are getting a little outdated so I'm looking for a good multispeed, PhotoCD (multisession) drive. I've heard a lot about the Toshiba XM-3401 drive, but would like to hear about some of the others with similar capabilities. I don't think your previous articles were premature at all. I think there were a lot of us that got into the CDROM game early so they helped with setting up your CD system and getting the software. I got my Xetec drive a couple of years ago and haven't regretted it once. But it is nice to see that CBM might start supporting CDROM in current or future Amiga's. I just hope they start the support soon! The only thing I can't understand is just as the market starts to gear up, they raise the licensing fee 1200%. Just doesn't make sense to me. But then again, that's CBM for you <g>. // John – (Flying via AutoPilot) \X/ "Worf: To Hell with the Prime Directive – Give the Borg Windows!"

I recently saw an add for a CDROM with a motorized tray (so not caddy required) that hasallthe features of the 3401 Toshiba but with a faster access time. Can't remember the name, but I believe it was a full page add in PC Magazine Pentium Machine review issue.

Peter: when you compare the amount of stuff on a CDROM compared to a floppy, you will find that at 24.95 for the cdrom is cheaper than if you paid $3-5 per floppy for ALL the stuff on the CDROM. // -Mike Schiller \X/ AMIGA! On AutoPilot in sunny Fort Lauderdale

"Given that many public domain authors state that distributors may only charge a small fee, typically 3-5 dollar's per floppy disk, how does this square with $24.95 for the CDROM, given the extremely low production cost of a CD disk?" Good question. I think most PD authors, including myself, were not thinking of CDROM distribution whenever we put in those notice's. Most of us were concerned with someone taking a group of PD programs and charging $10 or more for a floppy disk. Since they could sit home with a bunch of cheap floppy's and easily make a bunch of copies then they would be making too much of a profit from someone else's programming efforts. That's who those notice's were directed toward. However, creating and distributing a CDROM is entirely different. I just can't sit here and run off 10 copies of a CDROM like I can a floppy. First off, I have to purchase the equipment to store 500-600 megabytes of data, so that usually means a DAT or some other tape backup. And then most CDROM developer's usually have BIG harddrives, usually in the Gigabyte range. So that's a considerable expense just in itself. And then there is the process of gathering the data for the CD itself. I'm not on Internet and never have been, but I imagine that getting an entire 600MB dump of the Aminet FTP site would probably not be cheap. Now after they get all the data, then they have to go through an make sure that all the files and directories will conform to the ISO-9660 format. Which means subdirectories can only be nested 8 levels deep. All files must be in the IBM filename convention of 8.3 uppercase characters only, etc, etc. Many of these things can be done by specialized software, but still a lot of it has to be done manually. After all the file work has been done, then you are about ready to get the OneOff CD done. Once you have reviewed the OneOff CD and make sure everything works OK, then it's time to get the mastering done. The cost of this varies depending on how many first run CD's you plan on having made, but can vary as much as $1400-$2000. So after you add up the cost of equipment, data collection, labor, mastering/duplication, then $24.95 isn't such a bad deal after all <g>. And I don't think too many PD author's are going to complain that Walnut Creek is making too much of a profit. // John – (Flying via AutoPilot) \X/ "Worf: To Hell with the Prime Directive – Give the Borg Windows!"

I have the Walnut Creek OS/2 CDROM. It's a combination of freeware, IBM software and tech notes, and shareware. I don't think the $24 cost is excessive for assembling 190 MB of software, mastering, and distributing. If their Amiga disk is as good as the OS/2 disk, it's worth twice the price. Rob.