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BuyingTips - CD Writers

What is CD Writer CD writer allows you to make your own audio or data CD. There are 2 types of CD writers: CD-R and CD-RW. CD-R drive (CD-Recorder) lets you write data or audio onto a CD one time only. On the other hand, CD-RW drive (CD-ReWritable) lets you rewrite onto the same CD multiple times. The read and write speeds of a CD-writer are expressed as x, where 1x equals data transfer rate of 150KB per second. For a CD-R, there are two speed specs: CD-R write speed and CD-ROM read speed. For example, if your CD-R drive operates at 4x/24x, this means it has a CD-R write speed of 4x and a CD-ROM read speed of 24x. Get the right speed drive. If you write a lot of CD-RWs you will probably want a 4x drive, the fastest currently available. But if you burn large volumes of CD-Rs for audio or business backup, you will probably want a drive capable of burning CD-Rs at 6x or 8x. CD-RW can be Internal and External drive. CD-RWs use different types of interfaces depending on whether they are internal or external drives. Most internal drives use the ATAPI/EIDE, a standard interface for computer peripherals. Most external CD-RWs use the SCSI interface, considered to be the fastest. Sometimes the Parallel port interfaces, like those that connect printers, are also used. And many CD-RWs now have USB interfaces. USB is convenient but tends to be slow. Make sure you get a CD-RW with an interface that meets your needs. SCSI interfaces are still the undisputed speed leader. If you have an iMac or USB-ready Power Mac, make sure you get a USB-capable CD-RW.

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