The compact disc used for computer data, introduced in 1985. In the 1990s it carried multimedia artworks, games and interactive books.
There were a number of extraordinary, experimental releases on CD-ROM made with Director, for example by LIA, which is also skipped over a lot.
Casey Reas, Casey Reas on the History of Generative Art - Part 2
I bought my first tiny computer, and my first job was to cut out images for a CD-ROM. It was about natural healing plants or something.
LIA, 1990s Net Art: Auriea Harvey, Joshua Davis, LIA, Draves