NYCD-ROM

The CD in the title of NYCD-ROM stands for two things: the usual, and Cultural Directory. Ostensibly a guide to the rich variety of arts experiences to be had in Gotham, it falls way short of the magnificent compendium it could (and should) have been, offering what seems to be an arbitrary and perfunctory survey of a handful of museums, theaters, music venues, and such. Subsequently, you're given details about the avant-garde music space Roulette, but not the higher-profile Knitting Factory; Lincoln Center and the like are well-represented, but legendary jazz club the Village Vanguard merits only a listing in the index. ''Video introductions'' by Walter Cronkite and Beverly Sills, among others, serve as window dressing, taking up space that could have been put to better use. C-