This article presents a brief history of the videodisc and describes three major current manifestations of this storage medium--read-only, write-once, erasable. The current status of write-once technology, major corporations involved in the field, potential uses for various types of storage media, and software and market trends are highlighted.…

Discusses search and retrieval software for use with CD-ROM. Background trends, how data are made usable, supply and demand, data preparation services, and capabilities of search software are described. Vendors of significant information retrieval products are identified, and the characteristics of 12 packages are compared. (Author/EM)

Survey of the history and current development of information technology covers hardware (economies of scale, communications technology, magnetic and optical forms of storage), and the evolution of systems software ("tool" software, applications software, and nonprocedural languages). The effect of new computer technologies on human…

Discusses major features of microcomputers (word length, memory, size, disk size and capacity, central processing unit speed, peripherals, software) and provides descriptions of 19 models. Comparative analysis on basis of cost, software support, machine capacity, storage capacity, and types of peripherals is presented. A 173-item bibliography is…

Reviews attributes of laser discs and "traditional" objections to use of audiovisual materials. Use of authoring systems as means of tailoring laser disc programs and updating aging materials is described. Flexibility and power of the Video Nova Authoring System is explained and illustrated and the SONY SMC-70 microcomputer is evaluated.…

Compares and contrasts two systems designed for library automation applications--NOTIS, which was developed in the United States, and DOBIS, which was developed in Europe. The differences in the systems are discussed in terms of the availability or absence of machine readable bibliographic sharing capacities in the countries of origin. (CLB)

Description of high density data storage (HDDS) devices focuses on CD-ROMs and explores their impact on libraries, publishing, education, and library communications. Highlights include costs; technical standards; reading devices; authoring systems; robotics; the influence of new technology on the role of libraries; and royalty and copyright issues…