Any problems with...

[shnikey]

I am looking in to a Creative DVD-RAM drive. My question is has anyone tried it? Is there any flaw with the technology? It would be nice to have a drive that could watch DVD's and do backups. Any feed back on these things would be great.
Shnikey

[shnikey]

So no one has one?

[Paul V]

I was looking at one, but the current price of the media is too expensive. The cost per gig is more than that for a new HD, and with a drive you don't need to switch CDs and have much faster data access.

When DVDRAM drives come out that will allow you to store more info (double layered drives), then maybe it will be worth it. But for now, go buy a 27 gig 7200 RPM drive, it's cheaper and better.

[Wiz]

I wouldn't go buy a DVD-RAM yet. Since there is a battle over DVD-RAM and DVD-RW. Wait til the dust has settled and one of those drives has come out on top. THink of it as the choice between buying Beta or VHS way back when, or more recently, DVD vs. DIVX.

[shnikey]

Paul when you say the media is too expensive, what do mean. The DVD-Ram disks are onley 32 bucks for 5.2gb of space. Wiz aren't DVD-RW drives really expensive and underfire by the movie studios, so wouldn't DVD-RAM win out, but you do have a point.
Shnikey

[Paul V]

More like about 40 bucks per 5 GB, or about $8/Gb, and I've seen 27 GB drives at about $8/Gb too. Plus much faster access rates.

That was what I saw as of 12/15/99 when I was buying a computer, prices may be different now.