Optical Storage

Optical storage comes in two formats: CDs and DVDs. CD's can store up to 800 megabytes but DVDs have different capacities depending on whether one or both sides are used for recording information and how many layers of information there are per side.

CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs come from the factory with information already on them and you can't change that information. CD-Rs and DVD-Rs (or DVD-recordable) are media that you can write information to one time only. CD-RW and DVD-RWs (also called (DVD-RAM and DVD+RW by different manufacturers) allow you to change the information on them.

Below, we've listed some of the sites that offer optical storage media. You can see that different brands offer different features and you can learn more about this topic by visiting these sites.

Plextor CD-RW PX-W4012TA/SW

• 3-in-1 drive: 40X CD-R, 12X CD-RW, 40X max CD-ROM
• Capable of Digital Audio Extraction at 40X max
• burn-proof technology eliminates buffer underrun errors in fast write modes, allows for multi-tasking
• 4 MB Buffer
• Plextor

HP CD-RW cd24

• create custom CDs with 24x write spee
• quickly rewrite CDs with 10x speed and access files with 40x speed
• 2 MB with hp"s Buffer Under Run Prevention technology
• Hewlett-Packard

Kenwood CD-ROM Drive 72X TrueX and trade;

• drive is more than 80% faster than the average 50X Max
• high transfer rate delivers 6.75MB to 10.8MB/sec. across the entire disc
• 7-Beam pickup, which illuminates multiple tracks simultaneously
• lower rotation speeds minimize noise and vibration
• Kenwood

HP DVD+RW dvd100i

• record up to 3 hours video
• save photos, music or data to a 4.7 GB rewritable DVD+RW disc
• create CDs with speeds of up to 12x
• use your PC for other tasks while creating a CD with hp's buffer underun prevention technology
• Hewlett-Packard

Sony DVD+RW DRU110/C1

• up to 2.4X maximum writing speed for DVD+RW allowing users to record about 1GB of data within five minutes
• supports 12X and 10X maximum writing speeds for CD-R and CD-RW respectively
• includes a software suite that makes it easy for users to create customized DVDs and CDs for video, music and data storage
• DVD+RW discs can be re-written up to 1,000 times
• are compatible with all DVD+RW recorders and
• most DVD-ROM drives as well as most existing consumer DVD-Video players
• Sony