Meridian Data, Scotts Valley, California, has announced the VRX Publisher, a system providing CD ROM publishing and recording capabilities in one desktop unit. Designed to operate with MS-DOS personal computers with a minimum 80286 configuration, the VRX Publisher enables the organisation of a database, and database simulation as if it resides on a compact disk, to produce the physical CD ROM. Primary markets for the VRX Publisher, as envisaged by Meridian, include traditional publishers, government agencies, on-line information providers, and information technology departments. The VRX Publisher incorporates the Yamaha recordable CD ROM unit. The standard hardware configuration offers a 600Mb or 1.2Gb hard disk drive, layered ECC Augmentor, which generates the error detection and correction codes for final CD ROM data sectors, PDS interface card, and encoder-decoder unit, all integrated on a 16-bit SCSI-based controller and host adapter. Optional audio input devices for developing multimedia CD ROM applications are also available. The VRX Publisher is shipping now for $32,500 in a standard 600Mb configuration, from Meridian Data direct. Meridian Data has also announced a price reduction for its VR Publisher and CD Publisher. These are systems which enable the user to organise data earmarked for CD ROM mastering. The VR Publisher outputs the formatted data to exabyte tape while the CD Publisher system outputs the data to nine-track tape.
