FREMONT, CA -- (Computer Shopper) -- Feb 1, 2000 -- If you're tired of waiting for a rewritable DVD drive for your notebook, you won't slumming if you settle for a CD-RW drive. More and more notebook manufacturers are offering them as an alternative to CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drives. Consumers are snatching them up to burn music CDs, but they're also useful for burning data CDs or for data backups. They don't offer the multigigabyte capacity of DVD-ROM, but their 650MB capacity is nothing to scoff at.

Addonics Technologies is betting you'll agree. Its Pocket CD-RW drive has all the qualities of a good portable device: Ital l, lightweight, easy to set up, flexible, and convenient. But these qualities don't come cheap. The drive, which is available in a PC Card or USB version, will run you $499. If you opt for the USB version, tack on another $49 for the connector. If you're in the market for a new notebook, you can get an integrated CD-RW drive for $400.

At 0.9x5.4x6.4 inches (HWD), the 14-ounce USB version is about the size of a double-CD jewel case. In terms of usability, it's as flexible as a CD-RW drive can be. You can power it by its AC adapter, its Type II PC Card connector, or via the PS/2 port. There's a line-out jack for external audio, but you won't hear any sound out of your notebook's speakers unless you connect the line-out jack to your notebook's audio-in jack. An LED on the front of the unit indicates the status of the drive, and another on the top indicates when the unit is using power. Adaptec's Easy CD Creator and DirectCD software round out the package.

Hardware setup was quick and easy, an uncommon occurrence among external devices. Windows 98 doesn't always have a device's drivers in its library, but in this case Windows recognized the drive immediately, and we were up and running in about a minute. Loading the drivers was also quick.

The drive's rated 4x write, 4x read, and 20x playback performs on par with desktop drives of the same speed rating. Rewriting a 300MB file took just under 11 minutes; writing a 623MB file took under 20 minutes. On the CD-ROM WinMark 99 test, the unit scored a 715.

Easy setup, good performance, convenience, and flexibility are all qualities a mobile user can appreciate, and the Addonics Pocket CD-RW comes up aces in all four.

-- Raymond M. Padilla

Reprinted with permission from COMPUTER SHOPPER, August 1999, by Reprint Services. For reorders call Reprint Services at 651.582.3800. For subscription information call 303.665.8930 or visit us on the web at www.computershopper.com. 200781

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