RE: Fragilility of CDs {was :V3R7 -> V4R3 upgrade}

Well, I've always been of the opinion that just because something is designed 
to take a bit of abuse, that's no reason to actually subject it to it !   
Always pick them up using the centre hole and edge, put them right back in the 
case when you're done with them.  Take a look at the recorded surface to make 
sure there's no visible marks/dust/jam on them (I've had new shrink wrapped 
CD's that had fingerprints on them !).

I've got almost 1,000 music CD's at home and out of those I've only ever 
purchased one that had a manufacturing defect, and only one has ever been 
damaged (skips).  THAT was done by the wife who somehow managed to scratch the 
recorded surface against the edge of the jewel box as she removed it from the 
case !   :-)

Tapes of course need more care though, and you'd be amazed how many computer 
rooms I've seen where they leave tapes lying around WITHOUT being placed in 
their case, gathering dust, sitting on top of a nice hot laserprinter, etc.
It's really all just common sense.  Reminds me of something I heard. "The 
amount of intelligence in the world is a constant, unfortunately the population 
keeps growing !"   :-)



Neil Palmer         DPS Data Processing Services Canada Ltd.
                                             AS/400~~~~~
Thornhill, Ontario,  Canada    ___________          ___  ~     
Phone: (905) 731-9000  x238   |OOOOOOOOOO| ________  o|__||=   
Cell.: (416) 565-1682  x238   |__________|_|______|_|______)   
Fax:   (905) 731-9202          oo      oo   oo  oo   OOOo=o\   
mailto:NeilP@DPSlink.com    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
http://www.DPSlink.com        AS/400  The Ultimate Business Server      


-----Original Message-----
From:   Phil Hall [SMTP:hallp@ssax.com]
Sent:   Friday, November 13, 1998 1:55 PM
To:     MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com
Subject:        Fragilility of CDs {was :V3R7 -> V4R3 upgrade}

Neil Palmer wrote:
 
> And always wipe the CD's in a straight line from centre to outside
> edge - not in a circular motion !


Neil, 

This directive for cleaning CDs, reminded me of the time the BBC, in their
'Tomorrow's World' TV show, showed a preview of the Compact Disc technology,
when the electronics company Philips first announced the technology.

::::: rewind several years :::::

The entire segment in the TV show tried to show how 'robust' the CD medium
would be. The presenter took the CD out of the (very large, at the time ;-)
player and waffled on how there wasn't any surface 'groves', as with vinyl
records, and so the CD could be handled as 'roughly' as you wanted. He then
took this to the extreme, by coating the CD in jam, made a half attempt at
cleaning it (i.e. there was still jam on the CD), popped it back into the
player and the CD continued to play with no noticeable problems, because of the
fact that the laser focuses underneath the external surface.

[BTW: 'Tomorrow's World' was known for real life demonstrations on TV, and at
the time, this show used to go out live - so it wasn't a smoke & mirrors
demonstration]

::::: back to the present day :::::

Now we have to live with CDs that can lose the information after a number of
years; CDs that you have to clean - as if they were vinyl records; CDs that
jitter if there is surface scratches on them; CD players that can't cope
equally with different manufactured CDs....

Whatever happened to the technology...

--phil.

-- 
Phil Hall

+---
| This is the Midrange System Mailing List!
| To submit a new message, send your mail to MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com.
| To subscribe to this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-SUB@midrange.com.
| To unsubscribe from this list send email to MIDRANGE-L-UNSUB@midrange.com.
| Questions should be directed to the list owner/operator: david@midrange.com
+---