Laptop--CD/DVD vs. CD/RW

GlueGuy · Oct 17, 2001

I'd vote for the CD/RW as well. Only caviat is if you get S/W or other stuff that comes on multiple CD's, the DVD would be handy because it saves a lot of CD shuffling (something like 1 DVD ~~ 8 CDs). Otherwise the CD/RW is a lot more useful.

My desktop has a DVD and a CD/RW, which is the best of both worlds. I can still read CD's on the DVD, so using it (the DVD) as a source for copying a CD is a "natural".

Oh yeah. One more option is to get a "dockable" DVD or CD/RW. This would allow you to slide one out and slide in the other. Kind of like having your cake and eating it too. Saw that option on a Compaq. Whoops. You wanted a mAC. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

The GlueGuy

huckflynn · Oct 17, 2001

I'd get the laptop with dvd. The dvd will have full access to your cd's and if you ever did want to burn cd's you could always get a usb cd burner.

The following provides a bit of a technical overview on dvd's (from Microsoft's Windows 2000 Resource Kit)

 Overview of DVD Devices and Options

DVDs can read multiple, digitally stored data streams concurrently for playback of multimedia applications and full-length motion pictures.

Capacity of DVDs

The current capacity of a DVD starts at 4.7 gigabytes (GB). Both sides of the media can be readable and data can be layered on each side (for example, a gold layer of data can be placed above a silver layer). Lower laser power is used to read the top layer, and increased laser power allows the bottom layer to be read. Combining these two options increases the total possible capacity of a single DVD to 17 GB.

Uses of DVD Drives

A DVD drive has many uses. Although it was designed to display full-motion video, its massive storage capacity allows it to perform in other ways, including the following:

DVD discs and devices provide cost-effective storage for large data files. In the future, DVD will allow for writable devices, opening a larger range of options.

Because computers can achieve greater image quality than can conventional broadcast television sets, a DVD on a computer running Windows 2000 achieves even better quality than on standard DVD video player devices.

Windows 2000 supports the following DVD formats:

DVD-Video A disc containing full-length motion pictures for playback on a computer's DVD-ROM drive, or on a home DVD-video player.

DVD-ROM A disc containing a computer application or data that can be read by a DVD-ROM drive. A double-sided, double-layered DVD-ROM can hold up to 17 GB.

DVD-WO A disc that supports one-time recording, similar to compact disc-recordable (CD-R). DVD-WO requires third-party software.

DVD-RAM A disc that supports multiple recording capabilities, similar to magneto optical (MO) discs. DVD-RAM requires third-party software.

MikePA · Oct 17, 2001

Back on subject, can I burn things other than business files on a CD? 

Yep, I do it all the time. Pictures, music, etc. can all be burned on to a CD.

 Can I not have a separate device to burn CD's in the event I want to watch movies? 

A separate device is possible, but you mentioned you'd be traveling with this laptop. That'd be one more thing to carry.

Anonymous Poster · Oct 17, 2001

Just had a home computer built with a "burner" Thing is you have to save what ever you want burned on the computer then burn it. Can I add a cd-rom and burn directly from that to the burner?

Anonymous Poster · Oct 17, 2001

Yes, that's the easiest, simplest, and fastest way to burn...

Anonymous Poster · Oct 17, 2001

Thanks, I dont know why they didnt suggest it at the shop...

Anonymous Poster · Oct 17, 2001

If your machine is fast enough... you may want to consider installing a DVD CD-Rom as the second cd and get the best of a couple worlds... a DVD is only about $20-40. more than a basic CD-R...

Anonymous Poster · Oct 17, 2001

Not to drag this out, but how fast? Its a 1 something with 256ram and a 40gig hard drive. Something like that..

Anonymous Poster · Oct 17, 2001

If it's a 1 GHZ... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh... I'd say that's fast enough.../w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

{As long as it's faster than about 400 Mhz., otherwise, when you play a DVD movie, sometimes it's choppy, skips frames, looks kinda like a "Charlie Chaplin" movie...}

Gatorboy · Oct 17, 2001

I have both CD-RW and DVD drives on my desktop. You never know what you will "get into".

On my Dell laptop, I have different modules I can plug in and out (e.g. Floppy drive, CD-ROM, DVD). The DVD is a great toy when you travel. Those long plane trips and the long waits between connecting flights sure go alot faster while watching your own movies.

Regards,
Dave "Gatorboy" Hoffmann
Fallston, Maryland