A handy addition for PC flexibility

The Memorex CD-RX Burner was purchased about two years ago for an Windows XP system that did not have CD burning capabilities.  To be perfectly honest, I thought that this was going to be a band-aid until I could afford to get a new computer.  I got if for a good price, although I can't recall what I spent for it, but I was pleased with my purchase.

It plugged right up and installed without any help on my XP system.  There was included software, but I just used the Windows software to burn my photo CD's.  It worked perfectly, and there were never any problems whether burning or playing a CD.  In addition to backing up my photos onto disk, I also used it to play music CD's while back working on the computer.

I used this drive for several months until I upgraded my PC to a Windows Vista unit with in included CD/DVD-RW burner included.  I packed up my Memorex and stored it for a little while thinking that I had everything that I needed with the new CPU.  I actually changed my mind shortly after setting everything up.  The problem that I was running into was that the CPU was stored in a desk cabinet (as many are these days).  That meant that to burn a disk, or play a disk I would have to open the cabinet.  I also had to lean down to access the drive.  I know....I sound lazy don't I?

I got to thinking that it was so nice having the CD burner on the top of the desk within arm's reach, and that I really missed having that.  I decided that I would see if this drive would work with the new computer and have a nice standalone unit that was easily accessed.  I pulled the drive out of storage, and plugged it up with a simple USB 2.0 connection and turned it on.  Much like the XP system reacted, Windows Vista recognized the hardware and began installing it automatically.  Within seconds I was up and running.

Even though I was using a new operating system that this product was not really designed for, it was working as flawlessly as it had with XP.  All of the functions were still there, and I could still listen to CD's through the computer...I could now even burn a CD or DVD while listening to a CD...how cool is that?

Observations

One of the reasons that I purchased this unit in the first place was that it was an external drive.  This means that you don't have to physically install it in your CPU.  This was mandatory for me with the XP machine since I simply did not have a slot to install it in.  I'm sure that most users will want one that goes into the CPU to keep it out of the way, and I can see that argument.  However, for me, the ability to have a nice looking piece of equipment right there on the desk within easy reach is far more important to me.

This burner is fast...at least for my expectations.  You can see the specs anywhere on this burner, but what does it all translate to?  Well, a couple of photos will take just a few seconds to burn, and you can fill the disk up with just under 700mb in about a minute.  You can burn in either mastered or live depending on whether you are using a rewritable disk or not.

When used to listen to a music CD, there is no buffering that is needed, it will play a CD without any interruptions, unless your computer is not up to the task that is.

Setup is a piece of cake.  It automatically installs itself on both XP and Vista.  There is included software to add to the functionality, but I have had no need for it, so I can't really comment on how that goes.  It is small, so there is little problem with finding a place for it to go.  Do be aware that it is designed to only lay horizontally.  This is my one gripe about this unit.  I would like to have seen it designed to stand vertically to have less of a foot print.  However, its size has caused no issues at all.

Final Thoughts

I know that the days of CD are probably numbered and you are more than likely looking at DVD/Blueray burners at this point, but for a cheap accessory, this is the way to go.  If your files aren't tremendously large, or you just need something for a presentation, CD's are still the most economical choice, and using this external burner will make it a snap to burn the information to the disk.

I would recommend this product to anyone that still burns CD's, and has their CPU stored out of sight in a cabinet.  It is also quite handy for playing music CD's while you are hard at work on your computer.