cd writer - what should i buy - any opinions?

[df1chicago]

hi everyone...

i'm not a big computer person really, so i could really use some opinions...

i've got a two year old e-machine... (don't laugh... it does just what i need!!)... cd-rom drive, 32 megs of ram, 4.2 gig hard drive (i think)... i use it to go on the net, write letters, and build my personal website...

i'd like to install a cd writer... my only uses for the cd writer would be to dub music and back-up my website...

the emachine is not a flashy machine... i don't need a flashy cd writer... anyone have any ideas what would work for me???

your opinions are greatly appreciated... you can email me at [email protected]

have a good day...

df

[TommyBoomfiger]

Hi, welcome to G|A. pretty much any IDE CD writer will work for you. I, as well as many others here, would suggest plextor cd writers. plextor has an excellent track record and is very reliable. i strongly suggest getting a writer equipped with a coaster proof feature such as BURN-Proof or JustLink. This will pretty much eliminate a problem most people run into called buffer underrun. buffer underrun will make a cd worthless and you will have to start over. hope i helped

[Leon]

Try getting the TDK VeloCD 16/10/40. It should be $70 after rebate. Also, the LiteOn LTR-24102B. Those are good drives if you are short on cash.

[qmanchu]

Something else you might want to keep in mind, especially since you mentioned "dubbing" music will be the speed of your CD-ROM/DVD drive. Also consider the quality of the drive's audio extraction, or the drive's quality at copying music tracks off your CDs.

If you plan on dubbing straight from CD/DVD drive to your CD writer, you might want to seriously consider purchasing another CD/DVD drive as well.

If on the other hand, you would like to extract individual music tracks off your CDs onto your hard drive and make your own compilation CD, this shouldn't be a concern.

As TommyBoomfiger mentioned, the Plextor brand is highly regarded but you will pay a premium for that. I've had success with Ricoh (who no longer sells in the US) and Lite-On drives. However, even from the same manufacturer, reliability can waver from model to model so keep that in mind.

Again, as TommyBoomfiger pointed out, you would be wise to get a drive with technology that prevents buffer underruns such as JustLink or BURNProof. Depending on your patience, you can purchase a drive that records a full CD at 6x (~12min) all the way up to 24x (~3min).

Depending on your budget, you could have plenty of choices. Good luck.

[sho.gun]

www.newegg.com has the Liteon 24x cd-rw for only $97, as much as I am a Plextor fan, such a price just can't be beat. It's an OEM version though, which means you won't get a box, but hey, its only a box. If you want to buy the retail version its only $6 more and that one has a box. One thing for sure, as Chosenfool said, you better put more RAM in your system first, they're very cheap nowadays. Just get the RAM together with the CD-RW from Newegg and save on shipping.

[GraingerGuy]

crucial still has free shipping though...