unheimlich's Full Review: LG GP08LU11 DVD-RAM Burner
I probably never would have picked up the LG SLIM External DVD burner/player if BestBuy hadn't been offering a nice bundle discount for peripherals when I bought an eePC netbook for my wife. There are myriad uses for a portable CD/DVD player but I will focus mine on the usefulness of having this portable 'slim' model when you have a netbook.
INSTALLING SOFTWARE Netbooks like the eepc do not have a CD player built-in, so you need something the external USB LG DVD Burner to install any software you have on CD/DVD (unless you can download it off your lan or the internet). It may seem a bit steep in price, at first, for the investment...but you'll find yourself using it OFTEN. This model does so much more than I thought it could, and I now find myself using it for on-the-fly and mobile use all the time.
GAMING Most games I have on the PC require the CD/DVD to be in the bay when you play. If you have this plugged into your netbook, it can be a decent gaming machine. It runs fast, and though having a flapjack-sized cd player tethered to your netbook can be a bit cumbersome, it works without a hitch: it's fast, resilient, and quiet. It runs games like my PC tower does, limited only by the netbook's own limitations. For me, the power of the eepc is plenty and my wife plays her games with this all the time. I love it.
VIDEOS The LG 8x External USB DVD Burner comes bundled with the latest version of PowerDVD -- which means my netbook can watch movies on DVD (better than it can run streaming video on the internet). This DVD player software is brilliant and really adds to the value you're getting from the USB device alone (since buying PowerDVD alone would cost as much as this player itself!). Win! The movies play smoothly (and the LG DVD player also includes hardware that prevents skips ... this seems to work FLAWLESSLY in my tests -- making my netbook even better than my desktop PC, except for the screen!)
PORTABILITY I've tested the LG 8x External USB DVD Burner on multiple machines -- from my macbook pro laptop to my desktop Vaio to an older PC on my lan and one at work -- and everytime it autoloads its drivers and runs seamlessly. This is literally plug-and-play. And did I say it was portable? I can fit this 'slim' design into the cargo pocket on my pants and it weighs less than my wallet! It's amazingly portable. While the plastic housing seems fragile, I haven't run into any problems whatsoever.
FEATURES & COMPATABLITY GALORE The player includes all sorts of options that seem to cover the entire range of contemporary CD/DVD burner needs. It has LiteScribe technology, which allows disc labelling by laser etching. The USB 2.0 cable works to power it up just fine so it is self-sustaining -- but LG throws in a spare power cable 'just in case' you find yourself needing it for older machines that aren't USB2. You get Nero Recording Studio and Cyberlink Authoring software which make it useful for making your own DVDs or burning a soundtrack (though most everyone has these things these days, the Authoring software is actually quite cool -- allowing you to make DVDs that are playable just like regular movies on your home TV). It includes SecureDisc technology which can make the DVDs you burn data-protected. Every CD/DVD I have has been readable on this thing. It plays dual-layer and double-layer discs (via DVD-RAM) and can cover almost all the formats of optical discs you can think of (DVD+R/-R/RW & CD+R/-R/RW). Its a bit limited by speed, but the 8x DVD speed is sufficient for most people's needs (the CD-R write speed maxes out at 24x), with a 160ms average DVD access time. Zippy!
So if you're buying a netbook, don't hesitate to pick one of these LG models up if they're available. Even if you're just looking for an external CD/DVD, you've found what you need. LG has emerged as a power leader in this field. Highly recommended!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 65 Operating System: Windows and Macintosh
LG 8x External USB 2.0 Double-Layer DVD-RW CD-RW Drive - GP08LU11/ Slim External Drive/ Lightscribe Direct Drive Labeling/ Securdisc Data Protection T...More at Abt Electronics
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