CDROM: hypes and hopes for the rest of the century
| Pages | 347-350 |
| Date | 01 April 1995 |
| Published date | 01 April 1995 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045386 |
| Author | Péter Jacsó |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
Article
CDROM: hypes and hopes for the
rest of the century*
Péter Jacsó
Associate
Professor,
School
of Library
and Information
Studies,
University
of
Hawaii,
1030
Aoloa
Place,
207-A
Kailua,
HI
96734,
USA
E-mail:
uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu.us
Abstract: The CDROM industry
is
surrounded by
hype.
Many
believe
that it
will be the panacea for information storage and delivery. Others predict that it
will disappear as online systems and services become increasingly
prevalent.
The
most-likely scenario—at least for the rest of the century — is peaceful
co-existence and some convergence of the two technologies. CDROM technology
and applications will strive for years to
come.
This
keynote address
reviews
the
most current and the likely future developments in
the
areas of CDROM database
contents, software, hardware and
marketing.
1.
Introduction
These days the CDROM industry is
surrounded by hype reminiscent of the
bickering between heavyweight box-
ing champions before the prize fight.
From the red corner of the ring you
hear: CDROM with its flat-rate pric-
ing and instant multimedia capabilities
will knock out online. From the blue
corner you hear: instant and often
'free'
access to tons of absolutely cur-
rent data will send CDROM to the
floor.
Neither of these may turn out to be
true but they leave many end-users
with scepticism and animosity toward
one or the other alternative. I often
hear
the
question:
'why should
1
bother
with CDROM when the information
is,
or is going to be, available on the
Internet?' Equally often I hear the la-
ment: 'why would I pay almost 2 dol-
lars per minute every time I want to
look up something in Magill's Cinema
Review when I can buy the database
for a one-time fee of $99 and use it un-
til I am blue in the face?'
The likely scenario — at least for
the rest of this century —
is
that of per-
haps not peaceful but rather competi-
tive co-existence among online,
CDROM and — print. Yes, you heard
it right — print. There are some data-
bases that do not add anything to the
print version of the publication and yet
cost more. This is the case with many
of the databases of Compton's, that are
mere dumping of the text on CDROM
along with software that treats the user
as patronisingly as an Alzheimer's pa-
tient.
The users will decide what is good
for them for their particular informa-
tion need, and they will
base
their deci-
sions on such factors as (a) ease of
use,
(b) power of
use,
(c) storage and deliv-
ery capacity, (d) quality, (e) function-
ality, (f) timeliness, (g) overall appeal
and (h) real cost, not just
price.
In turn
their decisions, based on these factors,
will determine availability. Each of
these factors is surrounded by hype
and each offers hope through one or
more avenues. Some of the hypes and
hopes are discussed from the perspec-
tive of the CDROM industry in four
sections: databases, software, hard-
ware and marketing strategy.
2.
Databases
We have seen a steady growth of
CDROM databases since 1986, and
this growth has recently become expo-
nential and will remain so. There will
be more and more in every category
and every subject area of databases,
but the more dramatic increase will be
in the low-priced consumer
CDROMs. Some areas are already
saturated. There are eight CDROM
movie directories and a dozen home
medical/pharmaceutical guides and
handbooks, but we have not yet seen
many of the most popular magazines
and reference publications.
2.
1. Most likely
blockbuster
subjects
Of the top 100 magazines, TIME
Magazine, Sports
Illustrated,
Money
Magazine and PC Magazine are cur-
rently the only ones available on
CDROM with full text: some also
have images, sound and even video.
Newsweek
has
a series of small subsets
enhanced with materials that never
made it to the print version and People
magazine has a cover story edition.
However, the rest of the highest circu-
lation magazines are not yet available
on CDROM but most of them, and
then
some,
will
be.
PC
Computing,
PC
World,
Popular Electronics, Car and
Driver,
Better Homes & Gardens,
Family Circle, Good Housekeeping,
Redbook,
AAA
World,
Popular Sci-
ence, Popular Mechanics, Golf Di-
gest,
American
Hunter,
Bon
Appetit,
Rolling Stone, Discover, Home
Mechanix, Hot Rod,
Workbench,
Fam-
ily Handyman, Conde Nast Traveler,
Forbes, Fortune,
Tennis
and National
Geographic Magazine are the most
* This paper was given as the CDROM
keynote address.
The Electronic Library, Vol. 13, No. 4, August 1995 347
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