I've always wanted to buy a external DVD-ROM for my netbook. After comparing several different models, I finally picked this one for two reasons:
1. It's a well-established brand name.
2. At this price, it's a steal. This is the least expensive one I have found on amazon.com and elsewhere. There are some OEM ones out there that are even more expensive than this one.
It turned out that I made a good choice. This drive is almost identical to other ones you may see, like HP, Targus and etc., it's easy to use, no software needed, plug it into your computer's USB drive, it's all set to go. I have used it for DVDs, DVD-Rs, they all worked flawlessly. It gets a little warm and noisy after a while, but all other ones I have tried do the same too. The only complaint I have is its blister packaging, hard to open.
The bottom line is, if you are looking for a DVD-ROM, meaning read-only, you cannot use it to burn DVDs, get it now before the price goes up. Polaroid SLIM 8X External Top Load DVD Drive DR110 (Black)
I got two of these to use with a couple of netbooks. I had purchased a more expensive, external Samsung DVD for this purpose, but my son appropriated it when the DVD drive in his laptop died.
The price for this drive was $20 when I ordered, which I thought was exceptional. I was leery of the quality at that price, but relying upon Amazon's excellent return policy, I ordered two.
The first thing I noticed when opening the package was that it is very lightweight and feels flimsy. It is top-loading, and the lid is thin plastic. One clever feature I really like is that the usb cord fits neatly into a slot on the bottom of this drive for storage. It also has rubber feet on the bottom and a "reading" indicator light. The sliding latch to open the drive works smoothly.
There is no user manual, just a little insert inside the drive which tells you to plug in the usb cable and put in a DVD or a CD. I wasn't too impressed but I must say, it is just that easy to use. I plugged it in, put in a movie, and it came up instantly and played flawlessly!
Note: this is a reader ONLY. You cannot burn (write) a DVD or a CD. It will only read DVDs (up to 8X) or CDs (up to 24X).
I am thinking that the trade off for the excellent price is that you will need to take a little extra care with this drive. I wouldn't shove it into the bottom of a backpack or laptop bag. I found a generic case at Best Buy that it fits perfectly in and I keep it in that when transporting it. The Samsung drive I purchased first is much sturdier, but at 3X the price, I'm good with that.
I think the best use for this drive is for netbooks, which have no optical drive built in, or for use with a DVD-RW to make "backing up" DVDs or CDs an easier chore (read with this drive and write to the other drive).
It works. It loads software, plays dvds. Worked right out of the box on a netbook running Windows XP with no hang up or problems. It even slipped off the table a couple of times while I had a disk in the drive and it didn't bother anything.
My only complaint is that it could be quieter. But it's not distractingly loud.
The power cord tucks conveniently in a groove on the bottom of the unit when not in use. It's a fingerprint magnet and it gets light surface scratches, but none of that affects it's functionality. I got it for my dad so I could fix a broken netbook and so he could watch Dvds on it when it was fixed. He's very happy with it.
This unit has all the basics. I wanted to have something to load software from, so I needed a CD reader. The fact that it also reads DVD's so I can watch movies on the netbook (and does it so well) was an extra. And the price is definitely right. Event the included USB connection wire is included and stores handily in the back of the case, so there are no loose or extra wires to carry (or lose). Of course, I have not had it long enough to rate it's longevity, however, I can say that the easy pop up lid seems to make it much less complicated than the drawer. All in all, with the assumpiton that it will last if taken care of, I give this unit the maximum 5 stars.
This dvd / cd rom is inexpensive, but understand that it is cheaply made as well. I don't see this lasting that long, but so far so good. Also, if you plan to watch movies with it, realize that there is no software that will allow you to do that.
Since I only want a drive that reads and not writes, I wanted to find an alternative to Apple's Superdrive for the Macbook Air. Found a few worthy alternatives but none as cheap or nice looking as this one. Wasn't sure if it would work as it only says that it's for PC, but rest assured that it works fine, right out of the box. That is, if you just want to watch movies, which is all I bought it for.
What also makes this appealing is the fact that it only uses one USB cable, as opposed to two like some of the other ones in this price range (one for data and one for power).
This is the probably the most exciting review ever written by a human being. - Dvd-rom Drives - Cd-rom Drives - Dvd Drive - Dvd-rom'
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