CDBurner

[alondra]

Iwould like to have one.I can get a Sony ide 8x4x32 CD-RW for $90. dont know if these specs are enough and doesn't say about writing over on disks. opinions please. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[Bsdboy]

With that drive you can write at 8x(1200kb/s)
on cdr(cd recordable disks),4x(600kb/s on cdrw(rewritabe disks)and it will read disks at32x(4800kb/s.That is fast enough for me,
I have a drive that speed also a 12x10x32
the difference in time between 8x and 12x
is only a couple minutes.I dont rewrite much
but 10x is MUCH faster than 4x.Ihope this
is helpfull,hell I hope it makes sense it's
WAY past this boys bedtime!

[bhess]

It depends on what you plan to use it for. If you burn a lot of music cd's I would hold out for a good deal on a 12x10. They seem to pop up once a month. If just using for a backup the sony would be fine.

[NDC]

I would say that the speed factor would depend on how patient of a person you are.... I use 8/4/32 Plextor CDRW and it keeps me happy. I don't burn CD's all that often and never needed to be in such rush to burn the CD making me want to upgrade to a faster writer...

[RayH]

Stay away from Sony or HP (which are primarily Sony units). Sony, as a major producer of labels, has an interest in not having works copied. Some of their units have a 650 MB limit. This is alright if you are the originator. But my brother can't copy my 700 MB packed audio discs! He has to jump through hoops and eliminate some tracks. I understand that Sony home DVDs won't accept CD-Rs either!

I also recommend against Phillips, as they had a batch with defective springs. Also those brands that used that particular batch of Phillips are also defective. If you see any Smart and Friendly units hanging around, they are out of business. No warranty.

I have a Mitsumi 4x4x24. It's a bit slower than most, but totally reliable! It'll copy anything on any media (read cheap) and plays in anything I stick it into. I don't copy consol games. You can find the unit w/Adaptec 4.x software at PriceWatch for about $85+shipping.

I've bought 8x units for each of my sons. I've tested them with the intention of upgrading to 8x and giving them my old unit. Twice, I've decided to keep my reliable 4x!

Unless you plan to make a bunch of copies, what's the difference between 15 minutes and 7 minutes?

As long as I start other functions first, I can do other things (like print covers) while I'm burning!

[alondra]

thanks for the input, a lot to think about,
Al.

[Underclocked]

Let me add to the confusion. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/wink.gif I've an 8x4x32x HP 9110i which is likely a clone of the Sony model you are considering. I've never made a coaster with the drive.
Also, the drive is fully compatible with CloneCD - a nice attribute.
Plextor and others are putting out much faster drives using burnproof technology which allows you to do more while burning and still make good discs. I personally leave my machine to its own devices while burning.
I think one reason we've seen a plummet in the price of burners and media of late is the new technology just around the bend. Burn rates are going to be incredibly higher as well as a much higher density of storage on the new type of cdr's. I don't think the new stuff is going to be cheap though, so I would take advantage of the current technology's pricing and buy a good burner.
Media can be had for a song. Well, almost. http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[bhess]

I did forget to mention the burnproof technology. It is great I burn while surfing now. It used to be burn and walk away for a while. If you burn a lot try to get it.