[ The PC Guide | Introduction to the PC | Overview of Systems and Components ]

CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk - Read Only Memory. As the name implies, CD-ROM drives use compact disks, similar to the ones that hold music, to hold computer information. And also as the name implies, they are a read-only medium. You can read information from them but not write to them (except for some special exceptions). CD-ROMs are currently the most popular way that computer companies distribute applications and games, and are ideal for multimedia information like videos, music and large graphics files.

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