Cd-Rom Costs Vary By Up To 30 Percent

CD-ROM buyers are given four words of advice by a recent survey of prices: You better shop around.

The cost of major titles at superstores, discount outlets and specialty shops varied by as much as 30 percent, according to a report in August’s PC World, a San Francisco-based monthly magazine about personal computing.

For example, a version of Myst, one of the most popular CD-ROM games on the market, sold for as little as $40 and as much as $60. Myst, developed by Spokane brothers Robyn and Rand Miller, is manufactured by Broderbund Software Inc.

The report also found that the Sim City 2000 CD collection, another game, ranged from $60 to $90, depending on the store. The Sim City games are made by Maxis.

Consumer editor Roberta Furger found that superstores generally had the best combination of prices and selection, while discount outlets were inconsistent in both areas.