choosing a DVD burner

Thank you again, Al! I guess if I don't get software with the new burner and
my current software works, great. If not, I can always buy another program
or download one of the free ones.

Jo-Anne

"Big_Al" wrote in message news:_NX2k.2826$lE3.609@trnddc05...
Jo-Anne Naples wrote:
Thank you, Ghostrider!

I have two optical drives; both came installed in my Dell Dimension 8250.
According to Device Manager, the drives are

NEC DVD+RW ND1100A
Samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T

What I want to replace is the read-only drive. My understanding from Dell
is that the D: drive is a DVD read-only and the E: drive is a CD
writable. I've been using Easy CD Creator 5 to write to the E: drive even
after installing Windows XP SP3. So far, no problems.

None of the burners at Newegg mention software, even the ones that say
"Retail" rather than "OEM"; I also checked the Pioneer website and noted
that only a couple of the DVD burners indicated that they had software
(in Pioneer's case, they're including Nero). One review at Newegg of a
retail burner said it didn't include software, and another review I read
earlier said the included software was a 30-day trial version.

Thank you again,

Jo-Anne


"Ghostrider" wrote in message
...
Jo-Anne Naples wrote:

I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD
burner in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and
an IDE internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer? (I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD
Creator 5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne
What is actually being replaced? Is the present Dell CD drive a
CD-RW + DVD-ROM? And what applications came with the Dell for using
the CD/DVD drive? OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer".
An "OEM" drive implies that only the drive is sold, i.e., minus
cables, software, etc. Moreover, Easy CD Creator 5 might not run
well, if at all, with Windows XP + SP3. (We have encountered issues
with Eash CD Creator 6 after the SP3 update.)

It does not cost that much more to buy the retail version of the same
DVD drive. Getting the applications that will run with the DVD drive
will be beneficial. The otherwise alternative would be to search for
freeware or shareware applications, especially for burning, from the
Internet, such as CDBurnerXP Ver. 4.


I find it a gamble. Some actually write it on the box and in the ad.
Some don't and still supply it, then the latter where they don't say it
and don't supply it.
New Egg has Roxio with free shipping if its an issue.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832110219
But I got a drive about 3 generations back that came with Nero (my
preference) and you know, I've been loading that version 5 for the past 3
years, now on XP SP3 and it still works, even with new drives.

Thank you again, Ghostrider! I've bookmarked CDBurnerXP, just in case.

Jo-Anne

"Ghostrider" wrote in message
...

Jo-Anne Naples wrote:

Thank you, Ghostrider!

I have two optical drives; both came installed in my Dell Dimension 8250.
According to Device Manager, the drives are

NEC DVD+RW ND1100A
Samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T

What I want to replace is the read-only drive. My understanding from Dell
is that the D: drive is a DVD read-only and the E: drive is a CD
writable. I've been using Easy CD Creator 5 to write to the E: drive even
after installing Windows XP SP3. So far, no problems.

None of the burners at Newegg mention software, even the ones that say
"Retail" rather than "OEM"; I also checked the Pioneer website and noted
that only a couple of the DVD burners indicated that they had software
(in Pioneer's case, they're including Nero). One review at Newegg of a
retail burner said it didn't include software, and another review I read
earlier said the included software was a 30-day trial version.

Thank you again,


You are probably OK since the Pioneer is replacing the Samsung and
there is already the NEC DVD+RW drive present. If Easy CD Creator 5
is running OK, then it should also be able to see the new Pioneer DVD.
No new software seems to be really needed unless Adaptec/Roxio had
crippled the version of ECDC 5 that is being licensed to Dell as an
OEM, limiting it to the Dell-supplied NEC. If this is the case, then
there are more current versions of ECDC (present revision is 10) and
others, depending on the functions you want. I found CDBurnerXP Ver. 4
to be pretty decent.

Good luck.

"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
| Hmm... I never checked, but what Dell said was that the NEC drive burns
CDs
| but does not burn DVDs. Is that incorrect? I've never bought DVDs to play
| with, since I assumed all I had was a DVD reader.
|
| Jo-Anne
|
|

The NEC 1100A Is a writer. In fact I have that very model in my Dimension
8200. It's a real klunker. (the NEC drive that is) It is/was an early
generation drive from when DVD writing was very new.

It only writes +R and +RW DVD media. It will not write to -R or -RW. It is
not dual layer capable and it's slow. (4x write speed) Current models are in
the 20x range, write to both formats and do double layer. It was even
finicky about what brands of media it liked. TDK worked Memorex didn't.

The + vs. -R distinction isn't nearly as important as it used to be but, is
need to know if your drive only supports one or the other. (so you don't buy
the wrong blank media)

(some stuff on DVD formats http://www.videohelp.com/dvd )

What you've got will work but for very little money you can get a much
better drive.

I guess if it were me I'd get a small number of DVD +R discs and give it a
go. If it does what you want then save the trouble. If you start right off
getting disc write errors, lockups, media not recognized etc.. it's probably
the drive.

PS I hesitate to do product/brand recommendations as what works well for me
may not be to your liking. Read the user reviews and make a judgment. I see
NewEgg has some Liteon drives for cheap with free shipping. Those have
worked well for me.

":
: WHAT DVD unit you buy has NOTHING to do with the OS and the topic is
: out of place HERE.
:
: Ask elsewhere
:
Bull****.

"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD burner
in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and an IDE
internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my computer?
(I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD Creator
5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne


One good retail example.
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=4321192

The "OEM" designation is up to the seller or manufacturer. What's in the
box, you have to research before buying, don't assume anything. Other flaky
packaging includes "white box" and "brown box" designations.
--
Dave

On Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:15:33 -0500, "Tom [Pepper] Willett"
wrote:


":
: WHAT DVD unit you buy has NOTHING to do with the OS and the topic is
: out of place HERE.
:
: Ask elsewhere
:
Bull****.

Such eloquence you have.

Thank you again, Doug! I would never have thought to check whether the DVD
media were -R or +R. I'll look for the +R tomorrow, so I can see if my old
drive will work. If it's really bad, I'll buy a new drive.

Jo-Anne

"Doug" wrote in message
...
"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
| Hmm... I never checked, but what Dell said was that the NEC drive burns
CDs
| but does not burn DVDs. Is that incorrect? I've never bought DVDs to
play
| with, since I assumed all I had was a DVD reader.
|
| Jo-Anne
|
|

The NEC 1100A Is a writer. In fact I have that very model in my Dimension
8200. It's a real klunker. (the NEC drive that is) It is/was an early
generation drive from when DVD writing was very new.

It only writes +R and +RW DVD media. It will not write to -R or -RW. It is
not dual layer capable and it's slow. (4x write speed) Current models are
in
the 20x range, write to both formats and do double layer. It was even
finicky about what brands of media it liked. TDK worked Memorex didn't.

The + vs. -R distinction isn't nearly as important as it used to be but,
is
need to know if your drive only supports one or the other. (so you don't
buy
the wrong blank media)

(some stuff on DVD formats http://www.videohelp.com/dvd )

What you've got will work but for very little money you can get a much
better drive.

I guess if it were me I'd get a small number of DVD +R discs and give it a
go. If it does what you want then save the trouble. If you start right off
getting disc write errors, lockups, media not recognized etc.. it's
probably
the drive.

PS I hesitate to do product/brand recommendations as what works well for
me
may not be to your liking. Read the user reviews and make a judgment. I
see
NewEgg has some Liteon drives for cheap with free shipping. Those have
worked well for me.

Thank you, Dave!

Jo-Anne

"Lil' Dave" wrote in message
...
"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD burner
in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and an IDE
internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer? (I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD Creator
5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne


One good retail example.
http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec....iteria=4321192

The "OEM" designation is up to the seller or manufacturer. What's in the
box, you have to research before buying, don't assume anything. Other
flaky packaging includes "white box" and "brown box" designations.
--
Dave

The NEC ND1100A is a DVD and CD burner. It will only write to plus (+) DVD
media. Have a TDK with similar specifications, and adequate for the most
part for what I do.

I am not familiar with Roxio/Adaptec burning software. I know that in Nero
5 and 7, if you want to burn to DVD, you have to select that option before
getting the proper DVD burning menus for that. AT THAT POINT, if now
recognizable burning media is onboard the unit, you must select that as the
target, if not already selected. Then, proceed with your DVD burning. Its
been awhile, but, as I recall, the original version of Nero 5 was very
limited regarding burning DVD movies. Over many months, I downloaded and
installed many upgrades for it from the Nero website. And, as a result, was
quite capable for burning DVD movies. Am associating that with ECDC 5, as
may be similar in usage.

--
Dave
"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
Thank you, Ghostrider!

I have two optical drives; both came installed in my Dell Dimension 8250.
According to Device Manager, the drives are

NEC DVD+RW ND1100A
Samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T

What I want to replace is the read-only drive. My understanding from Dell
is that the D: drive is a DVD read-only and the E: drive is a CD writable.
I've been using Easy CD Creator 5 to write to the E: drive even after
installing Windows XP SP3. So far, no problems.

None of the burners at Newegg mention software, even the ones that say
"Retail" rather than "OEM"; I also checked the Pioneer website and noted
that only a couple of the DVD burners indicated that they had software (in
Pioneer's case, they're including Nero). One review at Newegg of a retail
burner said it didn't include software, and another review I read earlier
said the included software was a 30-day trial version.

Thank you again,

Jo-Anne


"Ghostrider" wrote in message
...

Jo-Anne Naples wrote:

I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD
burner in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and
an IDE internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer? (I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD
Creator 5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

What is actually being replaced? Is the present Dell CD drive a
CD-RW + DVD-ROM? And what applications came with the Dell for using
the CD/DVD drive? OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer".
An "OEM" drive implies that only the drive is sold, i.e., minus
cables, software, etc. Moreover, Easy CD Creator 5 might not run
well, if at all, with Windows XP + SP3. (We have encountered issues
with Eash CD Creator 6 after the SP3 update.)

It does not cost that much more to buy the retail version of the same
DVD drive. Getting the applications that will run with the DVD drive
will be beneficial. The otherwise alternative would be to search for
freeware or shareware applications, especially for burning, from the
Internet, such as CDBurnerXP Ver. 4.

Thank you, Dave! I'm going to buy some DVD+Rs today (assuming the local
OfficeMax has them) and check out how they work in my burner. ECDC5 does
show DVD data burning in the menu as soon as you click on "make a data CD,"
so I'm hopeful. I'm still looking at new burners, though--and with them new
software.

Jo-Anne

"Lil' Dave" wrote in message
...
The NEC ND1100A is a DVD and CD burner. It will only write to plus (+)
DVD media. Have a TDK with similar specifications, and adequate for the
most part for what I do.

I am not familiar with Roxio/Adaptec burning software. I know that in
Nero 5 and 7, if you want to burn to DVD, you have to select that option
before getting the proper DVD burning menus for that. AT THAT POINT, if
now recognizable burning media is onboard the unit, you must select that
as the target, if not already selected. Then, proceed with your DVD
burning. Its been awhile, but, as I recall, the original version of Nero
5 was very limited regarding burning DVD movies. Over many months, I
downloaded and installed many upgrades for it from the Nero website. And,
as a result, was quite capable for burning DVD movies. Am associating
that with ECDC 5, as may be similar in usage.

--
Dave
"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
Thank you, Ghostrider!

I have two optical drives; both came installed in my Dell Dimension 8250.
According to Device Manager, the drives are

NEC DVD+RW ND1100A
Samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T

What I want to replace is the read-only drive. My understanding from Dell
is that the D: drive is a DVD read-only and the E: drive is a CD
writable. I've been using Easy CD Creator 5 to write to the E: drive even
after installing Windows XP SP3. So far, no problems.

None of the burners at Newegg mention software, even the ones that say
"Retail" rather than "OEM"; I also checked the Pioneer website and noted
that only a couple of the DVD burners indicated that they had software
(in Pioneer's case, they're including Nero). One review at Newegg of a
retail burner said it didn't include software, and another review I read
earlier said the included software was a 30-day trial version.

Thank you again,

Jo-Anne


"Ghostrider" wrote in message
...

Jo-Anne Naples wrote:

I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD
burner in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and
an IDE internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer? (I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD
Creator 5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

What is actually being replaced? Is the present Dell CD drive a
CD-RW + DVD-ROM? And what applications came with the Dell for using
the CD/DVD drive? OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer".
An "OEM" drive implies that only the drive is sold, i.e., minus
cables, software, etc. Moreover, Easy CD Creator 5 might not run
well, if at all, with Windows XP + SP3. (We have encountered issues
with Eash CD Creator 6 after the SP3 update.)

It does not cost that much more to buy the retail version of the same
DVD drive. Getting the applications that will run with the DVD drive
will be beneficial. The otherwise alternative would be to search for
freeware or shareware applications, especially for burning, from the
Internet, such as CDBurnerXP Ver. 4.

Be careful, however. I had more success in terms of compatibility using
DVD-Rs, and not DVD+Rs (i.e., for being able to play the DVDs on some older
players).

(DVD-R's were around before DVD+Rs, and that's probably the reason)

Jo-Anne Naples wrote:
Thank you, Dave! I'm going to buy some DVD+Rs today (assuming the local
OfficeMax has them) and check out how they work in my burner. ECDC5 does
show DVD data burning in the menu as soon as you click on "make a data
CD,"
so I'm hopeful. I'm still looking at new burners, though--and with them
new
software.

Jo-Anne

"Lil' Dave" wrote in message
...
The NEC ND1100A is a DVD and CD burner. It will only write to plus (+)
DVD media. Have a TDK with similar specifications, and adequate for the
most part for what I do.

I am not familiar with Roxio/Adaptec burning software. I know that in
Nero 5 and 7, if you want to burn to DVD, you have to select that option
before getting the proper DVD burning menus for that. AT THAT POINT, if
now recognizable burning media is onboard the unit, you must select that
as the target, if not already selected. Then, proceed with your DVD
burning. Its been awhile, but, as I recall, the original version of Nero
5 was very limited regarding burning DVD movies. Over many months, I
downloaded and installed many upgrades for it from the Nero website.
And,
as a result, was quite capable for burning DVD movies. Am associating
that with ECDC 5, as may be similar in usage.

--
Dave
"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
Thank you, Ghostrider!

I have two optical drives; both came installed in my Dell Dimension
8250.
According to Device Manager, the drives are

NEC DVD+RW ND1100A
Samsung DVD-ROM SD-616T

What I want to replace is the read-only drive. My understanding from
Dell
is that the D: drive is a DVD read-only and the E: drive is a CD
writable. I've been using Easy CD Creator 5 to write to the E: drive
even
after installing Windows XP SP3. So far, no problems.

None of the burners at Newegg mention software, even the ones that say
"Retail" rather than "OEM"; I also checked the Pioneer website and noted
that only a couple of the DVD burners indicated that they had software
(in Pioneer's case, they're including Nero). One review at Newegg of a
retail burner said it didn't include software, and another review I read
earlier said the included software was a 30-day trial version.

Thank you again,

Jo-Anne


"Ghostrider" wrote in message
...

Jo-Anne Naples wrote:

I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD
burner in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and
an IDE internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local
shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer? (I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive
would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with
software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD
Creator 5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

What is actually being replaced? Is the present Dell CD drive a
CD-RW + DVD-ROM? And what applications came with the Dell for using
the CD/DVD drive? OEM stands for "Original Equipment Manufacturer".
An "OEM" drive implies that only the drive is sold, i.e., minus
cables, software, etc. Moreover, Easy CD Creator 5 might not run
well, if at all, with Windows XP + SP3. (We have encountered issues
with Eash CD Creator 6 after the SP3 update.)

It does not cost that much more to buy the retail version of the same
DVD drive. Getting the applications that will run with the DVD drive
will be beneficial. The otherwise alternative would be to search for
freeware or shareware applications, especially for burning, from the
Internet, such as CDBurnerXP Ver. 4.

"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD burner
in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and an IDE
internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my computer?
(I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD Creator
5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)


Pretty well any DVD burner should work OK as they all now generally operate
to a common communication standard.

Some OEM drives are supplied with burning software (the intention being that
the PC manufacturer installs the software and passes the disk on - but with
the current fetish for restore disks this is less prevalent than it was).

Easy CD Creator 5 is rather a dated product by modern standards and you
would do well to update it. The current version of that is Easy Media
Creator 10 (unless a version 11 was released while I was on holiday). There
are those that will recomment the Nero product, but both have their
disadvantages (and some of the Nero disadvantages are pretty limiting).
Since you are familiar with Easy CD Creator 5, the obvious route would be to
go with the latest line of that product. However, so much has changed over
the 5 incarnations, some research would be in order. It is worth
remembering that there is now some very well specified freeware around.

M.I.5¾ wrote:
"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD burner
in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and an IDE
internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer?
(I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD Creator
5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)


Pretty well any DVD burner should work OK as they all now generally
operate
to a common communication standard.

Some OEM drives are supplied with burning software (the intention being
that
the PC manufacturer installs the software and passes the disk on - but
with
the current fetish for restore disks this is less prevalent than it was).

Easy CD Creator 5 is rather a dated product by modern standards and you
would do well to update it.

Perhaps. But I sure don't like what an albatross it has become,
especially if you are only interested in the basic DVD stuff, and not all
the Fluff (and I do mean fluff), that was added since then! EZ CD Creator
5 sure works great over here. (And I also have an older version of Nero
(version 6) for other stuff)

The current version of that is Easy Media
Creator 10 (unless a version 11 was released while I was on holiday).
There
are those that will recomment the Nero product, but both have their
disadvantages (and some of the Nero disadvantages are pretty limiting).
Since you are familiar with Easy CD Creator 5, the obvious route would be
to
go with the latest line of that product. However, so much has changed
over
the 5 incarnations, some research would be in order. It is worth
remembering that there is now some very well specified freeware around.

"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD burner
in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and an IDE
internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my computer?
(I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD Creator
5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)


I should also have pointed out that Easy CD Creator is not officially
compatible with Windows XP, but in practice it is only the Packet
incremental part that is not compatible.

Thank you, M.I.5¾! It turns out that my old, supposedly CD-only, burner also
burns DVDs. Today, for the first time, I used it with a DVD, and Easy CD
Creator 5 worked fine. I do still plan to replace the read-only drive soon,
but it's good to know for now that my ancient program works OK. When I buy a
new drive, if it doesn't come with software, I'll check out the free stuff
first.

Jo-Anne

"M.I.5¾" wrote in message
...

"Jo-Anne Naples" wrote in message
...
I've decided, with help from people here, that I can install a DVD burner
in my 5-year-old Dell desktop computer (with Windows XP SP3 and an IDE
internal hard drive) rather than having it done at a local shop.

Newegg sells the "Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model
DVR-115DBK - OEM." Is this drive likely to be a good fit with my
computer? (I don't need a slim drive, right?)

Also, does "OEM" mean it's missing something that a non-OEM drive would
have? One of the reviews said the drive doesn't come with software--but
the same was said of at least one other burner that was listed as
"Retail." (As I mentioned in another post, I have the old Easy CD Creator
5, which can burn data onto DVDs.)


I should also have pointed out that Easy CD Creator is not officially
compatible with Windows XP, but in practice it is only the Packet
incremental part that is not compatible.