Pioneer DVR-XD09 External Slim Portable USB 2.0 DVD/CD Writer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this drive last week from Best Buy's for $70.
It's cheaper here, but the Best Buy one was made on Dec. 2009, not June 2009.
I only used it for 2 days, so here it is:
**Portability: 10/10
It's as light as a thin paperback book!
Go find one & hold it. Can you get any lighter than this with $60?
**Ease of Use: 9/10
You could use it with Windows XP, Vista, or 7.
If you have Windows 7 like me, you have to wait about 10 minutes while it installs drivers and such.
After that, it's "plug-n-play".
**Additional Software: 7/10
The Nero 8 Essentials seems fast and took 15 min to download while the "Nero securediskviewer" took about 12 min.
I'm sure you could do without the Nero, but I wanted to try it out. (I still haven't, but I'll update this in a few months.) I still thought that the Nero took a little longer than I would've liked to download.
A small warning: The Nero 8 does take more space than I would've liked. (I like to keep my D drive as empty as possible.)
**Sounds & Heat: 8/10
There is NO heat.
However, it makes this annoying humming and high "whoooo" sound when it's working hard.
**Design: 10/10
Unlike most usb external optical drives, this one opens up!
You get to see what you're working with and adjust the cd/dvd accordingly.
The "Open" button doesn't work when there's isn't any power, so turn it over and find the little button on the lower back of the drive, press it the opposite way, and and the drive cover should kinda click up.
I like it this way because it's safer when a cd/dvd jams up & freezes -- you could just yank out the 2 usb cables from the computer/laptop, WAIT until you hear the disk stop spinning, and take it out (using the way I just described).
Plus, it is NOT a fingerprint magnet. You can see oily fingerprints if you tip it at a certain angle, but other than that, the somewhat metallic gray finish hides everything.
All in all, I give this drive a 9/10.
It's thin, well designed & built, portable, and is at a decent price.
(I highly recommend it for beginning to intermediate computer users.)
Buy it! You won't regret it!
(at least most of you won't)

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One of the world's smallest and lightest DVD/CD Writers

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