BenQ CRW CD-RW drive

Advantages: Speed, attractive, good tech. support
Disadvantages: old burning software

...If you are looking for an external CD-RW, BenQ's USB2.0 (USB 1.1 compatible) is a solid piece of equipment at a reasonable price for external drives. 52 speed CD write (providing your media and computer support this), 32 speed CD re-write and a 52 speed CD Rom drive. It's a nice looking drive and doesn't look out of place sitting next to your computer. BenQ even provide two vertical stands so it can be fitted into the smallest of spaces by standing it on it's side. Simply plug and burn! Set up is quick and simple. A floppy disc contains the drivers, but you don't need this if you are running Windows ME/2000/XP. Simply connect to power, connect with USB Cable (Supplied) and windows will install the driver. Within seconds you are up and running. Bundled software is the excellent Nero Express v5.5.10.26, which is a bit dated but I... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Very quick and easy to use, comes with good software, and is much better than most better known brands
Disadvantages: Being internal, it is a little tricky to set up if you're not brave enough to venture into your computer...

...I bought this CDRW a while back, and I'm impressed. The installation instructions weren't the best I'd ever seen, but they were easy enough to follow regardless - they were only in picture format. After sorting out which of my 2 drives I wanted to be master, and which slave ( a battle in itself, but nothing you wouldn't get with any other model), I turned on my computer, and it was there, ready to go. I installed the included software (Nero 5), and was making discs within the 1/2 hour. It is a very reliable drive, and hasn't let me down once yet, so I can't really comment on customer support, but from looking at the web-site, it looks a bit unsupported. But that just've been at the time I looked at it. It's extremely fast - 52x, 32x, 52x, and if you shop around, you can get it for about £30 ( I got mine from PC World). I would really... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to fit, works at stated speeds
Disadvantages: I could only find it in beige when I bought mine

...I bought my BENQ 523252 about a year ago when I rebuilt my PC. Fitting was easy - set the jumper to Master,undo the computer case, screw the drive into a spare 5.5 inch bay, attach the IDE cable and power supply , refit the case and turn on. XP recognised the drive instantly. This is the only CD drive I have owned that has been able to reach the stated speeds. Using Nero Express which came bundled with the drive, the speed of the drive always matches the speed of the blank CD in use. A full CD at 52 speed only takes about 3-4 minutes including lead in and lead out. Totally reliable, this drive has worked perfectly since I bought it and I would recommend it to anyone who needs a good CD writer. I was unable to find it with black facia but that is a very minor problem.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful