On 03/05/2014 15:44, Max Demian wrote:
"Vir Campestris" wrote in message
o.uk...
On 01/05/2014 23:56, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
I'd ask then why they chose that size? No reason not to make it bigger if
a longer time was needed/possible. Remember it was a completely fresh
concept.

It meant the drive was the same size as the then-standard half-height 5
1/4 inch hard discs and floppies.I know of no other reason for the disc
size.

I doubt that the CD-ROM was envisioned when the CD was invented.

The Yellow Book standard for CD-ROM was published in 1988, at the same
time as the Orange Book for CD-R, the Red Book for Audio CD was
published in 1980.

Then, in 1993, came the White Book for Video CDs.

One reason for making it the size it is could have been that they may
have looked forwards (As engineers often do) and foreseen that the CD
drive could replace the 5 1/4" floppy drive in a standard computer case.
People also found it a comfortable size to hold and view the "label",
and that holds true for Blu Ray even now.

--
Tciao for Now!

John.