🚀 go-pugleaf

>people like me who cant really justify or squeeze out of sales people
>sets of databooks wouldnt mind paying a 20-50$ for a CD-ROM.
>
>my particular fascination this week is with MAXIM, EXAR and Motorola chips.
>
>but i would be interested in hearing of any vendor/brand making CD-ROMs
>available.

The only one I have any experience with at the moment is the CAPS system
being distributed by Cahners Publications.  It's a big library (two
index CDs and a library of about 45 databook CDs) which covers most of
the ICs in the industry.  Their retrieval software will let you search
the index of parts for any which meet specific criteria (e.g. all
DIP-footprint GALs with at least 13 inputs, 7 outputs, 3.3-volt
operation, and 2 nS propagation time ;-).  You can retrieve the
databook pages (scanned-in from the databooks), view them at several
magnifications, and print them.

Not an inexpensive solution.  The discs are licensed, not purchased - a
one-year license for the library and software costs almost $10,000.  You
can either lease the hardware (a loaded 386 with at least two CD-ROM
drives) or buy your own.  Updates come out monthly - two new index
discs, plus one or more new discs for the library.  New-part listings
seem to run 6 months to a year behind manufacturer announcement-and-
publication.

It seemed to work reasonably well in the demo I saw, although the
retrieval software and information-index could use some additional work.
I have my doubts as to whether it'd be cost-effective for any company
having less than 50 engineers, though.

I urged the Cahners rep I spoke with to consider setting up some sort of
per-hour-charge on-line retrieval service, to make the system's
capabilities available to individuals and smaller companies which can't
afford a $15k investment.

-- 
Dave Platt                                                VOICE: (415) 813-8917
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