La Cie USB CD-RW - A very useful drive
Written: Jun 28 '01 (Updated Feb 17 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: USB connection, reliable, software very good.
Cons: A bit slow for audio CDs.
The Bottom Line: A good drive from a reliable company.
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| frytz's Full Review: La Cie USB CD-RW |
After hearing of problems others had had with CD-RW drives, I decided to buy the La Cie, since I am familiar with their superior tech support (hoping I would never need it). My hopes were realized. I have had the drive for 8 months, and burned about 250 CD-Rs, and produced maybe 5 coasters (bad disks). Even the coasters were not the fault of the drive. I tried to burn some audio CDs too fast, and a couple of times some extraneous system problems interrupted the burn (one was a power failure!).
I am using the Drive exclusively on a Mac (originally an iMac, now a G-4), so I can not vouch for Windows based computers which it will also work with. The Toast software which came with the drive on a CD was a bit dated and quirky, but a download of an update (free from Adaptec) worked fine.
For data files burning at the highest speed is never a problem. Audio CDs often have to be burned at 2x. The software provides a simulation mode which goes through all the procedures of burning the CD, but does not turn on the laser. If this "dry run" works, the CD will burn okay at the same settings. This doubles the time to the finished CD, but getting a good audio CD without producing a coaster is worth the time.
I have used many different brands of CD-Rs and CD-RWs with no problems. I usually use Office Depot's brand which I can get on sale at $15-20 per 50 blanks. I have noticed some owners of other drives have problems with various brands of blanks. No such problem here.
I use the drive to back up all my data files, all downloaded software, all my digital photos, and anything else I can think of. At about 35 cents a disk it's a no brainer. My photos are "double disked" (separately burned disks - not copied disks).
I would highly recommend this drive. A few "saved by the CD" situations will pay for the drive in spades!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
frytz
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Location: Little Falls, New Jersey, USA
Reviews written: 32
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Retired chemist, avid hiker, investor, computer user, amateur composer.
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