CD-RW

     CD-RW drives are becoming a bigger and bigger standard these days. They are pretty simple really. They can Read CDs, Write CD-Rs, and CD-RWs. This drive is a 12/10/32 speed. That means that it can write to a CD-R disk at 12x, can Rewrite to a CD-RW disk at 10x and can read anything at 32x. CD-ROMs (compact disk read only memory) can only be read. CD-Rs (compact disk recordable) can only be written on once, then they are nothing more than a mere coaster for your ice cold drink. CD-RW (compact disk re-writable) can be written to and erased as many times as you like, just like a floppy disk. However only CD-RW drives can read them.

     This is Plextor's Plexwriter 12/10/32A drive. It has burn proof technology to prevent buffer under run errors, and it is very fast. I can burn an entire 650MB CD in just about 7 minutes. It is an EIDE Drive, that hooks into your motherboard. Along with your hard drive and CD-ROM drive and DVD drive, and whatever else you may have. Plextor boasts that it will last extra long since it has metal gears inside of it, rather than cheap plastic gears that wear and break easily. They should have thought about putting a metal face plate on the drive, because my eject button broke off when I was carrying my PC over to a friend's house to play some LAN games. It is now held on by a piece of scotch tape.

     I give the Plexwriter 12/10/32A an 86% for greatness. It cost me $230 and it works great! This really is one of the best CD burners that money can buy. I would have given it a higher rating, but my eject button broke of with a very little amount of pressure. It is just held on by a piece of plastic about the size of a fingernail clipping. I love this drive, but every time I look at how the eject button is held on by a piece of tape, it makes me wonder "What's the point of having metal gears, and sprockets inside the drive, when the outer pieces don't even stay on?"