There are many different types of CD’s.  To the uninitiated, the variety of acronyms can seem confusing.  But each has a specific meaning to those immersed in the technology.  Here’s an overview of the most common CD-related acronyms.

CD:  Compact Disc.  A CD is an optical disc used to store audio files in a binary digital format.  A standard CD is about 120 millimeters in diameter and can record about 80 minutes of sound.  It records audio only.

CD-ROM: Compact Disc: Read-Only Memory.  An adaptation of the standard CD to hold data that can be read by a computer.  Like the standard CD, the CD-ROM encodes digital information in a binary format.  CD-ROMs are usually used to store software programs and computer files.

CD-R:  Compact Disc: Recordable.  This is a blank CD that can be used to record sound. CD-R’s usually have 80 minutes of playing time and are compatible with most CD players.  CD-R’s can only be recorded over once.

CD-RW:  Compact Disc: Re-Writable.  This blank CD can be erased and re-recorded many times.  CD-RW’s tend to be more expensive than CD-R’s, and some CD players have problems reading them.

CD-I:  Compact Disc Interactive.  This acronym refers to two things: the player and the disc itself.  CD-I discs contain visual and graphic information and software info as well as audio files.  The player hooks up to a television and will play both the sound and video files through your screen.   These CD’s are often used for video games.

CD-MO: Compact Disc: Magneto-Optical.  A type of rewritable compact disc that preceded CD-RW’s and was never released commercially.  

CD-WORM:  Compact Disc: Write Once, Read Many.  Another name for the recordable compact disc, which is usually referred to as a CD-R.