Need a new cd-rom burner

Message

julius · #1 Post by **julius** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:20 pm

I hit a slight bump in my ambitions to become a DJ: my cd-rom drive has stopped being recognized by the computer. When I put in a cd (data or music) it sits there and spins a bit and then stops and when I click on the CD-ROM drive it opens a folder, but there is nothing in the folder. Basically it doesn't seem to recognize the CD-ROM at all anymore.

So. What's a good, cheap burner to buy? I'm not really on a tight budget but I'd prefer to spend less than $80 on a cd-rom, and in fact if anybody can figure out why a cd-rom would suddenly stop responding and save me from buying a new one entirely, I love you.

I think this is a no-name that came with my computer. Does buying a Sony or Panasonic mean it's more reliable?

Mr Awesomer · #2 Post by **Mr Awesomer** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:30 pm

Plextor is the gold standard when it comes to CD burners.

http://www.plextor.com/english/products ... rives.html

PlexWriter Premium 52x32x52, the single best CD burner on the market, but it's probably way more then you'll ever need. Then again, $100 bucks gets you a drive you'll probably be able to live with for 5 years or so.

GemZombie · #3 Post by **GemZombie** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 4:32 pm

julius wrote:I hit a slight bump in my ambitions to become a DJ: my cd-rom drive has stopped being recognized by the computer. When I put in a cd (data or music) it sits there and spins a bit and then stops and when I click on the CD-ROM drive it opens a folder, but there is nothing in the folder. Basically it doesn't seem to recognize the CD-ROM at all anymore.

So. What's a good, cheap burner to buy? I'm not really on a tight budget but I'd prefer to spend less than $80 on a cd-rom, and in fact if anybody can figure out why a cd-rom would suddenly stop responding and save me from buying a new one entirely, I love you.

I think this is a no-name that came with my computer. Does buying a Sony or Panasonic mean it's more reliable?

If all you want is a CD-RW drive, almost any of the generic drives are fine these days... the technology has been around long enough that even the cheapo drives work pretty well.

The Lite-On drives and clones that Best buy sells for around $60 are more than adequate.

Buying a Sony or panasonic doesn't automatically guarantee much except you'll pay for the name, at least in the CD-RW market.

Click here to see a decent cheap drive

#4 Post by **JesseMiner** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:17 pm

I too have heard that Plextor is the best of the best, but often that comes with a big jump up in price. Recently when my 16x Plextor drive died, I was convinced to get a Sony 52x24x52 CD-RW (several people have sworn by them), and I've been quite pleased with it, having zero problems with burns since I installed it a few months ago.

Here is a similar model at Best Buy:
Sony 52x32x52 Internal CD-RW Drive ($79)

Look around as you can often find rebates making drives even cheaper.

Actually after looking at the link that Reuben has provided, that internal Plextor drive is only $75. Looks like a good deal.

Jesse

Toon Town Dave · #5 Post by **Toon Town Dave** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:42 pm

If you want cheap, then buy cheap. They're all about the same.

If you want good, I'd second Plextor. My old A-open which had good reviews when I bought it has given me nothing mut trouble up until a month ago when it refused to burn anything but CD-RWs ... really weird. I just replaced it with a Plextor DVD-/+R/W,CD-R/W combo drive. The thing just works, it can even read some marginal CDs someone gave be that my old burner and DVD-ROM couldn't. I also have an old 4X caddy-load Plextor SCSI CD-ROM I bought surplus for $10. It too still works like a charm in the MicroVAX when I use it.

If you can afford it, buy Plextor. The stuff simply, just works!

dana · #6 Post by **dana** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:55 pm

I have a LiteOn 52x52xsomething that is excellent and I paid $60CDN. It replaced my 8x plextor that served me well for years and years (and is still working in another computer) - so probably plextor will last forever, but a quick cheap soluton is any of the LG/LiteOn ones.

d.

julius · #7 Post by **julius** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 9:13 pm

microvax?! dude, that's old school hardcore.

thanks for the reccos, i'll hit Fry's tomorrow night and see what they got. maybe i should just order online, but i am an instant gratification kind of guy.

i can't play computer games without a cd-rom either because i don't download cracked cd-rom images! poop.

Mr Awesomer · #8 Post by **Mr Awesomer** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:09 am

julius wrote:i'll hit Fry's tomorrow.

Maybe that's why your hardware is dying on you, haha.

Lawrence · #9 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:26 pm

I would also consider focusing on the software that comes with your burner. For personal use, the hardware can be pretty generic; the software is often the biggest difference-maker between drives of similar speed.

I bought my most recent CD-R (purely to make compilations of what I purchased for personal use) because it came with Nero, which is the best burning program I have seen out there.

Mr Awesomer · #10 Post by **Mr Awesomer** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:54 pm

Lawrence wrote:(purely to make compilations of what I purchased for personal use)

You don't use your compilations while engaged in the business of DJing to a public audience? You mean you only use the original purchased CD for such functions?

Lawrence · #11 Post by **Lawrence** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:31 pm

GuruReuben wrote:You don't use your compilations while engaged in the business of DJing to a public audience? You mean you only use the original purchased CD for such functions?

I'm not a copyright attorney, so don't take this as anything other than what I do, myself, but my understanding of the law is that re-compiling music into compilations is legal if you own the music and do not sell the compilations. At the very least, it is not the outright copying of a CD you don't own that they are the most concerned about.

I'm not depriving them of profit by re-compiling what I own into more convenient formats.

Mr Awesomer · #12 Post by **Mr Awesomer** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 4:35 pm

Yes, you can do all that for personal use.
We're all using them for more then just personal use, even if we're not selling them.

julius · #13 Post by **julius** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 1:59 pm

So, not that you care, but I went out (to CompUSA) and bought a Mad Dog 52/24/52 burner that came with Nero. I forgot to set the master/slave jumper but it must have been set correctly because I popped in the new cd-rom and it worked perfectly the first time. Except for the part where I jostled the vid card and the machine wouldn't boot up, but never mind about that. I have a few reservations about this wacky brand (the tray opens up and near the end of its motion it doesn't quite go straight so it wiggles a bit) but we'll see if it holds up.

I also got Tron 2.0 which I will be DJing at a dance in the near future.

Just kidding.

SwingDJs

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