The heart of the system is the same as that used for recorded music. Instead of sound, words and pictures are digitized on common personal computers, and transferred to compact disc. New technology hooks up a compact disc player to a computer, and the information stored on the disc is then output as words and pictures on the screen and as sound emitted through a speaker. Compact discs hold a tremendous amount of information. The space storage advantages are considerable.
Updates are much less expensive than with paper information.
The subscriber or purchaser simply receives an updated disc periodically. Compact discs offer the accessing ease of an on-line system. If the user wants information on subatomic particles, he or she simply types in the phrase and the system finds every reference to the subject. Most trade publishers are busy working out the legal issues involved in publishing their books in compact disc format.