| CD (compact disc)
These two little letters cover a
multitude of definitions. Compact discs come in many flavors, from audio
CD and CD-ROM to CD-I and CD-R. These formats conform to the so-called
"Book" standards, in which each format is described by a color: the Red
Book standard, for example, describes audio CDs. Since they're all
5.25-inch plastic-coated metal platters, CDs of any format can fit even
into players that won't recognize their format--though most CD-ROM drives
will recognize and play audio CDs. Which just goes to show: you can't
judge Red Book by its cover. |