my computer is so old (optical drive media question)

[crumply]

it's so old it's pre cd rw era.

so, i am getting a new puter, with the NEC 3520.

i need to buy some media, and have no idea.

any reason to use CDs, or are they a "dinosaur" and yall just use DVDs.

if so, what type? 8x DVD +R?

any help would be much appreciated.

thanks in advance

 

[amol]

i have a computer in the study, CD-ROM

i can only have optical drive, too

i use CDs still

 

[LED]

The burner goes both ways and with CD-R's being so cheap and many times 650MB is enough then use it! Another reason is that CD players (ie.Cars) that do MP3's won't handle DVD disks and many OP Puters don't have DVD's so you can not use those disks on theirs

 

[TRUMPHENT]

CDR's are worth having. Just keep an eye out for a loss leader bargain at a local superstore or online. Avoid CDRW media until you know you need it.

DVD Recordable media! Once again, bargain lurk. I think I bought a lifetime supply of media with my drive, about 60 discs total of -R, +R and +RW. The "Anandtech Hot Deals" forum can alert you to good buys.

The NEC 3520 is going to be compatible with virtually everything on the market. Fujitsu has a following here. +R or -R should be fine for data storage. I opt for +R if I had to choose.

Now, the most important tip of all! Everyone should have one of these.
http://www.yenra.com/cd-shredder/

 

[beatle]

Also, buy only what you think you'll need for a few months, unless you get a ridiculously good deal. I remember when $1 CDRs were a steal. Now you can get them for 10 cents or less if you wait around. If I'd bought all the media I'd ever need at $1 a pop, I'd be kicking myself now.

 

[akira34]

With cdr media being so bloody cheap, and holding 700MB, there's no reason to not use it. As otherwise mentioned, there will be many times when you only need to burn <700MB, which is a waste of dvd media. Considering how faster dvd media is still damned expensive, as is the dual-layer media, cd's are still a viable option.

I burn cd's for some things, and dvd's for others. Since I can burn either with both computers, which I use is dictated, more, by what the person getting the disc has. It also depends on how much stuff I need to burn for them. If it's going to take a few cd's or a single dvd (and they can read dvd's) then I do the dvd. Otherwise, it's cd's...

Cd's haven't gone the way of the floppy drive... yet... Eventually, higher capacity dvd drives will be out, and everyone will have at least a combo drive. At that time, cd's might start to fade, but don't expect that for several years yet. After all, look at how OLD the floppy drive is, yet it's still in use (at least for pc's).

 

[shortylickens]

Just like floppies, I think CD's are holding on longer than they should. I blame Iomega for keeping their drives to themselves. They killed their own product. It was years before they even let other folks make their floppies.
The PS2 used DVD's and that was a long time ago. Consoles are usually BEHIND on tech compared to PC's.

You still need CD's for many groups. The average home user who thinks a home computer can be bought once and kept for 20 years with no problems. All the schools and bussiness who wont make the shift for a few years yet. And for some reason, all the die-hard game freaks who refuse to upgrade their "perfectly good optical drive" and purchase $400 video cards every year. These guys trip me out the most.
(NO, I am not talking about ALL gamers. Just the ones who wont move over to a $30 optical drive.)
Heck I've seen DVD burners for well under $100.

www.meritline.com is where I go for media.

I try to encourage the industry by buying as many DVD games as possible. But I think technology may move up again before they catch on. These are the same guys who require us to buy a new video card every couple years just to meet the MIN requirements for games.
The PS3 already has plans to use the Blue-Ray discs. Those can hold 100GB.

 

[crumply]

thanks for the intelligent replies.

much appreciated.

 

[beatle]

At the risk of dragging this thread further off topic, I'll say that many games aren't available on DVD. Even games that take up 2-3cds and MORE are released on cd ONLY! Furthermore, DVD software is often released at a premium over its cd counterpart. You can't, for example, buy HL2 in DVD format without ponying up an extra $30. Instead, the regular game comes on SIX (count 'em!) cds. If I'm given a choice between cd and dvd at the same price, I'll take DVD every time.