Product: Iomega DVD+RW 4x2.4x12/CD-RW 16x10x40 EIDE (ATAPI) drive Price: HK$2,178 Pros: Includes both DVD+RW and CD-RW at a reasonable price, fast Cons: Cannot write to DVD-ROM, DVD-R or DVD-RW
Removable storage maker Iomega learned a tough lesson about standards when it walked away from its old Jaz and PocketZip dr ives. Even the Zip drive, which first brought Iomega to worldwide prominence, is likely to retire before long.
So it was no surprise that Iomega chose the DVD+RW standard for its new DVD burner. Of the two main standards - DVD+RW and DVD-RW - the plus team have managed to dominate the PC arena, while the rival DVD-RW standard has proved more popular in the consumer electronics world.
But with new drives from Sony and NEC that manage to support both standards hitting the market, it is a shame Iomega did not set its sights a little higher. The drive will read DVD-ROM, DVD-R, and DVD-RW discs but, like most current drives, cannot write to any of them.
However, Iomega's new drive manages to squeeze in both DVD+RW and CD-RW, making it an attractive purchase if you're looking for a budget disc-burning system. The latest multi-format DVD burners either lack CD burning or charge far more for it.
The drive records DVDs at speeds of 4x2.4x12, and CDs at 16x10x40, making it a pretty fast choice.