External DVD RW

RexA wrote on 1/10/2004, 2:43 PM

I got a new notebook that does not have internal DVD with Write. I did a bit of searching today and found this product:

One place had it for about $182. Sounds like a good deal to me and it already has the USB 2.0 interface. Does anyone know anything about this vendors products? Any compatibility issues I should worry about?

Comments

jester700 wrote on 1/10/2004, 8:31 PM

For that price you can get a newer 8X drive and an external firewire/USB2.0 case and "roll your own".

Or put together a 4x for less. Or spend a little more and put together a Plextor 8x - the Cadillac of DVD burners.. ;-)

RexA wrote on 1/11/2004, 12:28 AM

Really?

The ADS usb/1394 case I looked at today was about $80-90 (DLX185). You saying I can get a decent DVD +/- R drive greater than 4X for $100 or less? Or maybe there are other good cases I didn't look at.

I haven't looked hard yet, but tell me what you would buy that is less than $180 with both pieces. I'd be happy to do the assembly if I can get better stuff for the same or less money.

jester700 wrote on 1/11/2004, 6:54 AM

A Bytecc USB2.0 case is $40 shipped from Newegg, or $50 for a combo USB2.0/FW. Oxford chipset. That leaves $130 for the drive, which will only get you a Nutech. Er, sorry. But for $10 more, 8x drives are available from Optorite, MSI, and Lite-On (I have the Opto, but I'd spend $50 more for the Plextor if I did it now).

For $110 & under, there are a number of 4x drives from Ricoh, MSI, NEC, Optorite, BenQ, and AOpen.