The Sims 2 DVD-ROM

Advantages: Only 1 disc, loads of features
Disadvantages: Can be slow

...I have been a fan of the Sims for many years now, but only recently recently the Sims 2 for Christmas. When I opened it up, I noticed that it said DVD-Rom. At this point I panicked, thinking that I wouldn't be able to use it. Luckily, my computer has a DVD-ROM drive. The only difference between the normal CD-ROM version and the DVD-ROM, Is that the DVD-ROM only has one disc, making installation easier and quicker. Installation As I said, because the game is held on one disc only, you don't have to sit waiting for the computer to tell you top put in 'disc 2' or disc 3' etc. This means that you can leave the computer to happily go about its business of installing, whilst you go and watch the telly. As with most games, you can choose where to install the game. To keep you occupied during the installation (if there's noting on TV...

matty0501 30.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Sims 2 (DVD-Rom)

A high quality cd-rom drive

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Disadvantages: Outdated and discontinued model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...

richard_richard 30.04.2004 · Read review
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Review of Teac Desktop CD-ROM 532E

Dorling Kindersley My First CD-ROM Toddler School

Advantages: Good range of tasks, keeps kids involved and interested, genuine learning tool
Disadvantages: have to wait for sounds and instructions to finish before you can interact.

...make an animal or object appear with a voice over telling you what it is. My son watched the screen with great interest for about 30 minutes and started trying to say some of the items and looked very pleased with himself so very fast results there. FInally, each activity also has a "printables" section and variable skill levels that affect the controls as well as the difficulty of the task in hand. A minor irritation was that you couldn?t use the mouse until any talking or animation had finished which may frustrate younger children that couldn't understand the need to wait. Apart from that though this is a fantastic title. If you only buy your toddler one CD-ROM, make it this one....

ilaskey 22.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Dorling Kindersley - My First CD-Rom: Toddler School

Ahead Nero Burning Rom 5

Advantages: easy to use and install, downloads quite fast
Disadvantages: none

...A mate told me about ahead nero burning rom, so i thought i would check it out for myself. I had easy cd creator but wanteda different one as it did not allow you to record on to 80 minutes cd,s and was told on nero that you could. You can burn both 74 and 80 minutes on nerom which do not take too long to download. It takes about 15/20 minutes to burn music on to a disk, which isn't too long at all. On nero you can create labels for your discks, but i've never actually tried this out so i can not say what it is like at all. With nero you can burn music, data and games so there is a choice of what you can do. I mainly use it for music but have used it for data a few times as well. You can use nero with most makes of cd writers. Nero costs abgout £30 in the shops from computer places like pc world. This is not a bad price...

tabyorky 24.08.2001 · Read review
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Review of Nero Burning ROM 5.5 Licence

MP - ROM

Advantages: too many to list
Disadvantages: expense

...I got my MP-Rom as a Christmas presant and so far its the best little walkman I've ever had. I can transfer my music from my PC and when I get bored it can be replaced with what ever I like. You can also get all the latest tracks and stuff thats never released from the internet. It's 10 X better than a Mini disc, it never skips, crystal clear digital sound and it's smaller and lighter. Hard memory is the way to the future as it is much more reliable and eventually will be very cheap. Look at the past five years, we have gone from megabytes to gigabytes (think how many Mp3's can fit on a gigabyte!!!) One day not too long from now my prediction is that minidisc will be obsolete and people will have a pocket full of Flash memory cards, each containing the album of their choice....

smacdoodle 09.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of MP-ROM MP-100

Aztech CD Roms and others like it

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...

m.holmes 24.07.2000 · Read review
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Review of Aztech CD ROM

Rom-com reversal

Advantages: Different take on a dull genre, strong performances from cast.
Disadvantages: Lacks humour, more rom than com.

...Gary and Brooke met at a baseball game and fell in love. Unfortunately, Gary's refusal to do anything that Brooke wants has led to constant strain and argument. The couple's confrontation comes to a head at a family dinner that leads to the break down of their relationship. With neither willing to make concessions or back down this looks like the end for Gary and Brooke. "The Break Up" is a rom-com in reverse as we watch the decline of Gary and Brooke's relationship. The implosion of their loved up relationship makes for a far more interesting story than your standard boy meets girl love in that Hollywood usual offers. In saying this is a rom-com I am perhaps misleading you as it is not really a funny film but more a drama of bitter sweet melancholy. This is no "Wedding Crashers" or "Picture Perfect" but it is better for it by...

Shortsharpshock 26.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Break-Up (DVD)

Entertaining Rom-Com

Advantages: Funny, entertaining, good for a Saturday night.
Disadvantages: None worthy of mention.

...end up in one of Las Vegas's numerous cheesy chapels and Joy and Jack tie the knot. The next day, realising what they've done, Joy and Jack get into an argument, Joy takes out a coin, Jack sticks it in a slot machine, and presto? Jack hits the mother-load! Unfortunately for him, the coin belonged to Joy, and she wants the cash. Taking their case to court, Joy and Jack plead their case in front of a not-so-understanding judge who decides to make an example of them - the verdict? They've got six months to work it out with the help of a marriage counsellor? if that doesn't work, the judge will consider a divorce. Unfortunately for Joy and Jack, working it out isn't in their agendas, and the only thing they want is to piss each other off. 'What Happens In Vegas' is pretty much your usual rom-com with the boy meets girl formula...

GoFigure 27.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of What Happens In Vegas (DVD)

Just Another Rom-Com

Advantages: Can't seem to find any.
Disadvantages: Sickeningly sweet format - no sparks.

...there isn't really much to laugh at. The problem, no doubt, has to do with the fact that I'm over-dosing on this summer's rom-coms! Is there a reason why summer has to be synonymous with ditsy romances that are as silly as they are shallow? Let's face it, these movies are spit out faster than you can blink an eye, and are all tied to the same tedious format of girl meets boy, boy meets girl, relationship begins to develop, girl does something bad to boy, boy does something bad to girl, then comes major split-up, everyone is miserable, boy or girl or even both make the first step towards reconciliation, they kiss and make up and live happily ever after? (yawn). The writer has made no attempt to develop the characters and the director has made no effort to actually direct the actors. The end result is a movie that is totally bland...

GoFigure 17.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of 27 Dresses (DVD)

A stand out rom-com

Advantages: Lots of laugh out loud moments
Disadvantages: Could have been shorter

...at portraying the unlucky in love man with the big heart. My only negative about this film is the running time, I feel at nearly 2 hours it could have been shortened to around 90 minutes as this seems to be the benchmark of most rom-coms. Overall I would say this is a brilliant romantic comedy with some real laugh out loud moments. The characters will really draw you into their world & you will really feel for them at every stage. This would be a great movie for valentines day if you're just planning on staying in with a DVD. This DVD has some great extra features including; Blooper Reel Behind The Scenes Featurette Amerie - 1 Thing Music Video Hitch is available from play.com for a bargain £3.99, for that price you really can't go wrong. It stars Will Smith so you know it's going to be a great movie! The soundtrack is also available...

Great_reviewer07 05.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Hitch (DVD)