Product ReviewsCD/DVD drives
Sony recently released an innovative 'Double-Density' CD-R/W drive that allowed up to 1.2Gb of data to be burned onto one CD. This drive, though, only offers regular 16-speed burning. Its large software bundle comes with basic photo and video editing packages and a good MP3 encoder called MusicMatch. We weren't so impressed with the BHA Recorder Gold software package, though, which we found less logically arranged than Nero or EasyCD. We were also irritated to have to enter long serial numbers just to get the software installed. The oddly named packet writing software 'BHA Clip', seemed functionally the same as InCD. When burning discs, the software warned us not to use other applications while recording, but the Sony does in fact have BurnProof buffer under-run technology and this worked as well as with every other drive on test. Our 350Mb of files finished recording in an average speed of 7 minutes 25 seconds, faster than the Plextor and Ricoh drives. The Sony is the most expensive drive on test. The extra software doesn't put it ahead of the others, and the BHA Recorder software is actually off-putting. By Benny Har-Even SPECIFICATIONS:
16-speed CD-R write, 10-speed CD-R/W write, 40-speed CD-ROM read, EIDE interface, 2Mb buffer, BURN-Proof buffer under-run protection. Comes with BHA Recorder Gold, BHA Clip, ArcSoft PhotoBase, ArcSoft Video Impression, MusicMatch, EIDE cable, screws, audio cable, 1xCD-R, 1xCD-R/W. Requires Pentium II 400, Windows 95/98/2000/Me.
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