| CenDyne 4x DVD±RW External Drive (USB 2.0/Firewire) - Page 2 of 3 |
Now that a basic overview of the physical components has been provided, lets take a look at the published specifications and features of this device...
Features/Specifications:
General Features:
• Full Description: CenDyne 4x DVD±RW Dual DVD/CDRW Ext USB 2.0/Firewire Drive
• Part Number: CDICD00224-NB
• Oxford OXFW911-TQ-A chipset
• Black and silver case design
• 4x maximum write speed (DVD-R)
• 2x maximum rewrite speed (DVD-RW)
• 4x maximum write speed (DVD+R)
• 2.4x maximum rewrite speed (DVD+RW)
• 24x maximum write speed (CD-R)
• 8x maximum rewrite speed (CD-RW)
• 40x maximum read speed (CD)
• 12x maximum read speed (DVD)
• 2 MB buffer
• 180 ms average access time (CD)
• 200 ms average access time (DVD)
• USB 2.0 interface
• IEEE 1394 FireWire interface
Supported Disc Formats:
• DVD-ROM
• DVD video (single and dual layer)
• DVD-R
• DVD-RW
• DVD+R
• DVD+RW
• CD-R
• CD-RW
• CD-DA
• CD-ROM (mode 1, 2)
• CD-ROM/XA
• Video CD
• Photo CD (single and multisession)
• CD Extra
• Hybrid CD
• CD Text
Supported Write Methods:
• Disc at once (DAO)
Notes:
• UPC: 6 83728 00224 4
• DVD-RAM not supported
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server not supported
Product Requirements:
• Microsoft Windows 2000/ME/XP
• Intel Pentium III 800 MHz processor
• 64 MB RAM (125 MB recommended)
• 50 MB free hard disk space
• Available USB 2.0 port or FireWire port
• Available power outlet
Installation:
Installation of an external drive such as this is one of the highly attractive features! All you need to do it plug the device into an electrical outlet, and then plug either the USB 2.0 or Firewire cable into your computer and the device. And it was just that easy with the Cendyne burner from Computer Geeks. Physical installation was a snap, and the installation of the software from the two compact discs went just as well. An obvious added bonus is that you can now 'uninstall' the drive just as easily, and share it with as many computers as you want.
With the device connected to a computer and everything powered up, Windows XP Professional identified the actual drive inside the Cendyne unit as an "NEC DVD_RW ND-1300A". The published specifications for this NEC unit match the Cendyne data, and in addition to the quality construction of the enclosure, I am now also pleased to know there is a quality drive housed within.
The Sonic software installed fine, but had an interface that had me a little leery of the quality. It seemed a bit basic, and the lack of attention to the GUI made me concerned that other areas might not be as refined. Although it did run better than I had initially anticipated, I did encounter a few hang ups and other buggy behaviors (but, never during burning) that made me wish something like Nero had been included instead. The Pinnacle Studio software ran well, and although my interaction with it was minimal, it had a nice layout and worked to my satisfaction.
Testing:
For testing purposes, the Cendyne burner was attached to a system with the following basic specifications:
• Intel Pentium 4 2.6C CPU
• 1024MB (2x512MB) Corsair PC4000 DDR
• 80GB (2x80GB RAID 1) Seagate S-ATA HDDs
• NEC ND-1100A IDE 4x DVD+R/RW DVD burner
• Windows XP Professional operating system
The product requirements were obviously all met with this test system, and the NEC ND-1100A IDE drive will provide a nice point of comparison with the Cendyne's relabeled NEC ND-1300A. They are fairly similar drives, with a few new capabilities added to the 1300A (1100A does not support -R/RW).
Please read on to the next page for more... Next
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