Abstract
In discussing the opportunities presented to information providers and publishers by laser optical technology it is important to distinguish the several different approaches being developed or now available that use that technology. Reference Technology has developed a read-only medium which essentially provides a solution for delivering large volumes of machine-readable information to multiple sites for access by mini- or microcomputers for reading and manipulation. The ‘direct-read-after-write’ (DRAW) approach being developed by Schugart, Philips, Thomson CSF, and STC is essentially a solution for archiving or storage of vast volumes of information, and is not intended for the delivery of that information to many points of access. Once this difference is understood, it is a simple step to identifying which information belongs on which technology. A second and vital difference is that Reference Technology uses the proven videodisc as the native component for receiving the data for distribution. This disc, originally developed for movies, and more recently used for interactive training programs, offers a proven stability and assured availability. The videodisc, as used by the Reference Technology concept, takes advantage of the native analog mode, while encompassing the advantages of magnetic discs for information delivery.