Tips Based on ExperienceJul 20 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Removable Media
The Bottom Line Reliable random-access optical storage, but a little slow. More durable than CD/RW and magnetic media. Can read most any disc.
First, you will need third-party software to write to one of these drives. There is no native support in the current operating systems (Windows XP promises support for optical drives, but we'll see.) Fortunately, these drives come with software, but you're stuck with whatever they give you. If you want to use something else, you'll have to purchase it. DVD-RAM is true random-access, which means you can read and write data as if it was just another hard disk. It is much slower than a hard drive or a Zip disk, but much faster than a floppy. Write speed tends to be slower than read speed. If you are copying large files, or lots of little ones, you will have to wait. Copying small batches of little files is fairly quick, however. Formatting the disc usually consists of a single, quick write to the start of the disc. This sets up information for the OS, such as the label and the data format. Since the discs have markers placed on the surface at the factory, the drive does not need you to format the disc to read and write to it. The media can be written to many more times than CD/RW, due to the stability of the media. It has the longest shelf life of optical media, and is much more durable than magnetic media. This is one of the most reliable archival solutions on the market. You don't have to wait for tape to wind -- you just access the data you want, and can update it as necessary. There is a physical write-protect tab that you can slide to keep important data from being erased. Most cartridges come double-sided, so you will have to flip them over in the drive to get the full capacity. So far, these come in 5.4 and 9.4 gigabyte versions. There are some single-sided cartridges out there, but I don't see the point. Double-sided cartridges don't cost much more, and give you double the capacity. Don't skimp and get cheap media, as these tend to have more defects and problems than the more recognized brands. DVD-RAM discs come enclosed in a sealed cartridge. This keeps dust, fingerprints, and scratches off of the disc. Since the data density is so high, and these discs are made for multiple read/writes, you want the media to keep as clean as possible. You cannot remove the media from the cartridge, for if you do, the drive will see it as read-only. The Hitachi drives have an oversized tray that can hold these cartridges. It can also hold bare CD's and DVD's, as well, but it can't take CD caddies. There are tabs to hold bare discs when the drive is mounted vertically. Make sure to use the UDF format on your discs. This is the most compatible format between systems. Windows 98 and up can read UDF, and so can Mac OS 8.5 and up. UDF version 1.02 is the most compatible, while UDF 2.00 is used in video devices. DVD-RAM Drivers are also coming out for Linux. Compatability is mixed. Note that only DVD-RAM drives can read DVD-RAM discs. Some DVD-drives are just now coming out that can read DVD-RAM, so don't expect to be able to pop a DVD-RAM into you DVD drive or player. Also, DVD-RAM drives cannot write to CD-R, CD/RW, DVD-R, or DVD+RW discs. On the plus side, DVD-RAM drives can read just about anything that you pop into them, including audio discs. The DVD-RAM drive is a solid, reliable technology. It can be a little slow when writing. If you're using a multitasking operating system (which most of us now are), then you will be able to continue working while the writing proceeds without a problem. It makes a great, general-purpose drive when reading any media, and can play audio CD's just like a CD-ROM drive, but it can only write to DVD-RAM. Support for DVD-RAM media in other drives is slim, but this is being developed.  |
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