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An electromechancial device that reads data on CD-ROMs. Most CD-ROM drives have a SCSI interface, although some are connected to a PC via a controller for a disk drive. Data is read through a small laser that is focused on the surface of the CD-ROM through optical mirrors in the read/write head. A spindle and drive motor revolve the CD-ROM, so all data, which is stored in spirals from the center, can be read. CD-ROM drives vary in the access time to locate a track on the CD-ROM and the seek time to move the read/write head. Also called CD drive
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