Optical Disks: Advantages-Limitations-Uses

 

Advantages, Limitations and Uses of Optical Disks:

 

Advantages:

 

Cost per bit of storage for optical disks is very low because of their low cost and high storage density. Additional cost benefit comes from the fact that some optical disk can be erased and reused many times.

 

Use of a single spiral track makes optical disks an ideal storage medium for reading large blocks of sequential data such as audio or video.

 

Optical disk drives do not have any mechanical read/write heads to rub against or crash into the disk surface. This makes optical disks more reliable storage medium than magnetic tapes or magnetic disks.

 

Optical disks have storage life in excess of 30 years. This makes them better storage medium for data archiving as compared to magnetic tapes or magnetic this.

 

Since data once stored on a CD ROM/WORM disks become permanent, the danger of stored data getting inadvertently erased/over return is not there.

 

Due to their compact size and lightweight, optical disks are easy to handle, store and port from one place to another.

 

Audio CDs can be played on a computer having a CD-ROM drive along with sound card and speakers. This allows computer systems to be also used as music systems, whenever desired.

 

A computer having a DVD drive can be used to play DVDs allowing it to be used for watching videos such as movies.

 

 

Disadvantages:

 

CD-ROM and WORM disks are read only storage medium. Data once recorded, cannot be erased. Hence, they cannot be reused.

 

Data access speed for optical disks is slower than magnetic disks.

 

Optical disks require more complicated drive mechanism than magnetic disks due to the need to have a laser generating source and detection lens that require precision engineering and careful handling.

 

Since optical disk is a removable media, it is prone to scratches, dust, sticky prints, etc. while handling. Hence, they need careful handling.

 

When used for offline storage, they should be labelled properly for easy identification.

 

 

Uses of Optical Disks:

 

They are used for the following purposes:

 

For distributing large amounts of data at low cost.

 

For distribution of electronic version of conference proceedings, journals, magazines, books, etc.

 

For distribution of audio such as a songs.

 

For distribution of new or upgraded versions of software products by software vendors.

 

For storage and distribution of wide variety of multimedia applications such as video games.

 

For archiving of data not used frequently but which may be used occasionally.

 

WORM disks are often used by end user companies to make a permanent storage of their own proprietary information. For example, many banks use them for making a permanent record of their daily transactions.

 

DVDs have become a popular medium for distribution of movies.