CDRW & DVD Combo advice requested

[Moohooya]

I'm looking to get a new combo drive. Can be either SCSI or EIDE, but I gather that these days optical is pretty well all EIDE.

Quietness and reliability are more important than speed. I have a dualie and I'm trying to replace noisy components with quieter ones so I can tolerate being in the same room as it

I Currently have an UltraPlex 32, love it. So I'm interested in the new Plextors coming out later this month, but is it really worth $230 when the Toshiba is available for $100? Anyone know what software comes which what, or if there is free/share/other ware available that can be used instead? I'm running W2K.

Would appreciate all thoughts and comments. Also any URLs to reviews on the combos.

Thanks very much,

Moohoo

 

[SUOrangeman]

I've had my Ricoh MP9120A for nearly 18 months now. This drive has been pure pleaasure from Day 1. I ripped, encoded, and reburned my entire CD collection (probably a good 200+ discs by now) with this drive alone. Only a few CDs made it vibrate ridiculously (I'd say no more than 10). May have been some copy protection or something.

I don't think this drive is made anymore, but I wouldn't mind trying out a new Ricoh (DVD+/-RW, this time). I think the HP combo drive is based off of this Ricoh.

-SUO

 

[Mavrick007]

I would go with that Toshiba combo drive if I were you, it looks like a nice fast drive. I saw it on newegg OEM for $98. I wouldn't worry about software, you will get drivers so that you can do what you want and then then get the software that you will use, don't go with the overly priced plextor just cause of the software package unless it has exactly what you require(for a better deal).

 

[Moohooya]

Thanks both of you. I'll do some research on the HP and the Toshiba. At the moment I think I'm leaning towards the Tosh.

Moohoo

 

[JHeiderman]

Just my $.02 here... I have a HP 9900j, its a 12x 10x 32x CD-writer/DVD combo. It sucks. It gets itself into a tizzy on lots of CD's. Sometimes I have to reboot just to make it reset itself. Some discs take a long time to read, it can't read some of my older CD-r's and the WORST thing.. it spins the CD when I'm not even accessing the disc. That is how a CD-rom burns itself up much sooner than it would otherwise.

If I didn't get it for such a amazing price a year ago ($50 after rebate) I'd be really unhappy with it. I think its actually made by Ricoh too. Go with the Toshiba instead.


- J

 

[nortexoid]

ricoh makes a 20x/12x CDRW/DVD combo drive...check that one out - u can buy a black front face for it too, if you want.

I've built a couple computers using the LG 12x/8x combo drive and it works awesome...the thing i really like about the LG drives is how quiet the try is...doesn't make a soudn when u open and close it.
the one thing i don't like about the LG drives is the lack of nero support (in the 5.5 ver. i'm using anyway)...meaning, u have to use easy CD creator...i dont' find that to be a big deal cuz they pretty much support the same standard options for burning CDs...it comes w/ directCD too (the packet writing software).

and u can find them for DAMN cheap.

 

[SUOrangeman]

NewEgg is offering a nice (spec-wise) Toshiba combo for $99 + S/H. Sure as hell beats the $260 or so I paid for my Ricoh in January '01.

-SUO