CD-R discs have been a popular medium for data storage since the early 2000s. They are a type of optical disc, which means they use laser technology to read and write data. This makes them ideal for storing large amounts of digital information without taking up a lot of physical space. CD-R discs are also relatively inexpensive and widely available.
CD-R discs were the first type of writable compact disc to be released. They were designed to allow users to write data onto them in a similar way to a floppy disk or hard drive. The data written to a CD-R disc is permanent, meaning that once it is written, it cannot be changed or erased. This makes them uniquely suitable for archiving and backup purposes.
CD-R discs are generally made of polycarbonate plastic, along with a thin coating of dye, which is sensitive to the beam of a laser. This dye allows the laser to create marks that store digital data, and can be read by a variety of optical disc drives. Depending on the manufacturer, the capacity of a single CD-R disc can range from 700 Megabytes to 800 Megabytes.
The technology used to make CD-R discs has also been applied to other types of media. For example, DVD-R discs offer much higher data storage capacities than CD-R discs, though they are more expensive. Blu-Ray discs and high definition DVDs also have the ability to read and write data using the same laser technology.
CD-R discs are still used today for a variety of applications. Additionally, many computer operating systems now feature disc burning capabilities, allowing users to store their data on CD-R discs with ease. Despite the emergence of other types of removable media, CD-R discs remain a reliable choice for data archiving and backup.