>In a rather simplistic way, which ones (print v. CD_ROM) are "better" (for
conducting research)<
CD-ROM can be convenient, fast and saves lots of space. It sometimes can be
initially cheaper than books, although buying *used* books generally is
cheaper in the long run (especially when CD-ROM equipment maintenance,
down-time and obsolence costs are considered.) Yet, many firms now tend
toward using both, just to get the advantages each offers. The answer to
your question relates to the realities of your firm. For example:
1) Do your attorneys know how to use the diferent search programs offered
by the various CD-ROM's? (This can be confusing and frustrating to attorneys
who are not computer nerds, since CD-ROM search engines differ substantially
and often in quirky ways.)
2) Do you serve a large number of attorneys? (One attorney using a CD-ROM
"set" occupies the whole set, unless you have networking capability, which
can be expensive and subject to breakdown. Networking also is terribly slow
unless you have some super high-speed equipment -- at the very least 100+
megahurtz speeds. Expect multiple users to say lots of bad words when
they're in a hurry and the central processor is trying to serve all of them.
Even at those slow speeds, most firms consider themselves very
sophisiticated if their equipment can serve 10 attorneys simultaneously.
What do you do if you have 50 attorneys?)
3) Do your attorneys access large sets? (Some sets require lots of
disks. This can be inconvenient unless you have multi-disk towers, which
again are very expensive, sensitive and tend to go obsolete on a regular
basis. Further, some CD-ROM sets have increased in number of disks, making
previous towers instantly obsolete -- spelled "ob$olete.")
4) Do your attorneys typically work at the last minute or at night?
(Computers "know" when a system crash would be a disaster, so that's when
they crash. Expect a desperate attorney to call you at home to ask, "How do
I get *your* darn system to work? Then you try accessing technical support
some evening or weekend. Lots of luck.)
5) Do your attorneys like to take work home or work on the train? (This
is inconvenient with CD-ROM since it ties up the whole set. And how many
attorneys have a multiple disk changer available for their laptop?)
6) Do your attorneys access a variety of sets simultaneously; do they
like to flip from set to set? (This can be extremely difficult, expensive,
slow and inconvenient with CD-ROM.)
7) Do you work on 2+ year budgets? (The prices of CD-ROM have been
fluctuating wildly. Typically there is a "you-can't refuse" initial offer,
followed by now-we've-got-you" ongoing subscription rates. No one knows what
CD-ROM prices will be 2 years from now.
8) Are you ready to be the designated computer expert? Or do you have
one on staff? (There has to be one on premises, or the attorneys will go
ballistic when instead of accessing the CD, they get an obscure error message
followed by something that resembles Chinese. The following message, which is
a typical example of CD-ROM unexplainable, unanticipated troubles, appeared
on this very bulletin board last month: "Has anyone else had problems with
the Windows version of West's Premise software not letting more than one
person in with a multi-user license? We've tried calling the tech folks at
West, but they have not been able to give our MIS person any solutions. We
are running the cd tower through CD-Commander software and our CCH and LCP
disks are doing fine. The West CD however, gives error messages when
multiple people try to access the disk." Ah, the sweet mysteries of CD-ROM)
9) Finally, CD-ROM is not an "end" technology. It is an interum
technology, much like 8-track and 5" floppies were. Smaller CD's -- that
won't work in your current players -- will replace the current models, and
within a couple of years, expect chips to replace all CD's. This should
occur one month before you finally have your expensive new CD equipment paid
for.
In short, CD-ROM is not at all like your trusty Word Perfect program.
CD-ROM has advantages in speed and space saving, and it has drawbacks, too.
CD-ROM is specifically designed to give attorneys lots of reasons to get
angry.
The realities of computers make CD-ROM a poor *replacement* for books,
but for some firms, a good *supplement*. If you're not a computer nerd, or
even if you are, ask yourself, "What is the very worst thing that can
possibly happen with CD-ROM?" You'll be wrong. Something unexpectedly worse
will happen.
By the way, you can consider the source when you evaluate the above
comments. We're the country's largest used law book dealer. All of the
above CD-ROM comments are those we've actually heard from our customers when
they buy our sets.
Rodger Mitchell
National Law Resource
800-886-1800
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 14 2007 - 20:49:09 PST