Teac PortaCD CD-ROM Drive

Advantages: Aztech and Delta drives, as an example, are much cheaper than bigger names
Disadvantages: If you buy cheaper CD ROM drives expect lower performance

...I have mixed feelings about Aztech CD-ROM Drives – and other cheap makes. Everything seemed fine until the speed's started to increase to 24x and beyond. I was used to slower drives and wonder quite why anyone would need a CD-ROM to go so fast – but who am I to know? I have never had any problems with CD-ROM running at around 10 to 16 speed. Anyway, I found on a 32x Aztech drive that it couldn’t get up to full speed without cutting off before it could read data. It was a never-ending loop of stopping and starting, making installation of any program a long drawn out affair. Eventually I had the unit replaced with a Delta CD ROM. It’s better, but still seems to suffer from its high speed at times. I would recommend, and it’s only my opinion, that you spend a bit more and purchase a Yamaha, Philips, Teac or any other well-known brand... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Quality and reliability of drive
Disadvantages: Outdated and discontinued model

...The Teac 532 cd rom drive is an cd-rom reader that is designed to be fitted internally into a PC. I had this unit in my PC for about 2 years before I decided to upgrade the whole system. I paid about £120 for this drive and at the time 32x read speed was about the industry standard. How times change as now we are looking up to 72x read speeds on cd-rom drives, which make this unit look positively tortoise-like! Specs This cd-rom drive is compatible with operating systems up to Windows 98. It has a 32x read speed and needs to be fitted into a IDE interface inside the computer. The drive measures, (W) 5.75” (H) 1.65” (D) 7.56”. It weighs 2.65lbs. Overall these are the standard measurements for a cd-rom drive, otherwise it wouldn’t fit into your computer! On the front panel of the unit, from left to right there are, headphone socket... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Cheap & Very Reliable, Fast Speed
Disadvantages: None

...this with Memorex CD-R discs. They are 700MB or 80 Mins standard single layer discs and are 52x in speed. One of the fastest speeds on the market. Most modern recorders support this speed however some are slower. The discs still work with a slower burner but are limited in write speed to the recorder being used. They come in packs of 25, 50 & 100 discs in a cake layer box. I personally pay £6 for a box of 100 and consider them a good price for what they are. Other more expensive manufacturers may provide you with a jewel case. My experiences with them are as follows: I use them regularly for reading and writing. The data I store on the discs are applications, Photos, Mp3/Music, Video and documents. I have tested them in Pioneer, LG, Sony and Liteon Burners using Nero Burning Rom as my choice of burning software. I have never experienced any problems... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful