A bewildering variety of CD-ROM drives compete for space in your computer. How do you pick the one that's best for you? Use the following CD-ROM Drive Buyer's Guide to help you sort through the many models now available, and find the drive that best fits your budget and computing requirements.
The cause is easy to identify: multimedia. In the early days of the PC, most programs consisted mainly of text or numbers. The average word processing or spreadsheet program didn't require much hard disk space to operate, or to store the files it created. Although useful, these programs didn't generate very much excitement outside the business community.
To make programs come alive, software developers wanted to add sound, video, graphics, color photographs, and animation. The problem they faced, though, was that adding such engaging elements would require a tremendous amount of storage space -- much more than could fit on single floppy disk. More, in fact, than could fit on many hard disks of the time. For a solution, the developer community turned to the amazing storage capabilities of CD-ROM.
CD-ROM technology was developed by Sony and Philips. It was an offshoot of the music CD format they developed that brought a quick death to the LP. The size of the disc used for music CDs and CD-ROMs is the same. However, the format in which data is written on each type of disc is different. CD-ROM technology first was available commercially in the late '80s. However, it wasn't until the early '90s, when multimedia started to explode, that CD-ROM moved from the fringes of the computer industry and became an accepted standard.
Software companies were thrilled by this development. As the programs they wrote became bigger with the addition of multimedia elements, so, too, did their appetite for floppy disks. Programs that previously shipped on one or two floppy disks now required 15 or 20 disks. With each floppy disk came additional costs: the cost of the floppy disk; the cost of duplicating the disk; the cost of shipping and packaging larger and heavier boxes.
CD-ROM discs that were small, light and inexpensive to produce put a quick end to this price spiral. Software companies could pack their entire program -- and frequently other goodies, such as clip art and screen savers -- onto a single CD-ROM disc. The cost savings realized by software companies that make the switch from floppies to CD-ROMs is substantial. Some companies, eager to drive down their costs, have decided to distribute their programs only on CD-ROM. Others are sure to follow.
For many customers, then, a CD-ROM drive is no longer an option; it is a necessity.
CD-ROM drives certainly are common, with over 28 million shipped in 1995, but they have a long way to go before they become a commodity. Although all CD-ROM drives first were produced in Japan, they now are churned out of factories in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and the U.S. Fierce competition among manufacturers ensures that each company continually attempts to gain an advantage over its rivals by adding new features to its drives, or improving old features. Competition has caused the price of a CD-ROM drive to fall dramatically in recent years, but price has yet to become the sole factor to consider when making a purchase. There still exist wide variations in the features, quality and performance of CD-ROM drives. These factors, not simply price, are what should drive your purchase decision.
At first, all CD-ROM drives transferred data at the same speed: 150 kb/sec. This specification was a holdover from those used to build music CD players. While this transfer rate is adequate for music CD players, it is painfully slow for computers.
Computers usually are only as fast as their slowest component. If you buy a super fast hard disk, a smoking CPU, blazing memory and a speedy cache, then try to run a program off a slow CD-ROM drive, your system is going to be...slow. Because mechanical devices such as CD-ROM drives (in which a small motor spins the CD-ROM disc) are by their nature much slower than the semiconductor components of your computer (CPU, memory), anything that can be done to speed up the mechanical devices should help improve the speed of your entire computer system.
CD-ROM drive manufacturers have met this challenge. They steadily have improved the data transfer speed of their products. The first generation of CD-ROM drives (now referred to as 1X drives) was replaced by 2X , 3X, 4X, then 6X drives, before reaching the current top speed of 8X. A state-of-the-art 8X CD-ROM drive can transfer data from a CD-ROM disc to your computer at 1,200 kb/sec (8 X 150 kb/sec). The data transfer rate of a CD-ROM drive finally is approaching that of the fastest mechanical device in your computer -- your hard disk.
A fast data transfer rate is especially important to have when using one of the increasing number of software titles that include video and animation. To depict motion or movement on your screen, a fast, steady stream of data must flow from the CD-ROM to your computer's CPU. If this data doesn't flow smoothly and quickly, the video or animation will appear jerky and pause frequently.
4X ("quad speed") CD-ROM drives are the minimum speed sold with most computer systems. Although they are adequate for many tasks, they are not the ideal option if you expect to use multimedia applications on your computer. Most data-transfer intensive applications, such as those which incorporate video, graphics and animation, will look much better if they are played on a drive faster than 4X. Still, if your budget is the primary considerations driving your purchase decision, you'll find a 4X drive, like the Blaster CD 4x, to be a cost-effective solution.
If you want a CD-ROM drive that will serve you well not only now, but also in years to come, you'll want a 6X or 8X drive. 6X drives such as Creative's Blaster CD 6x are widely available. Although they cost more than 4X drives, the added expense should prove to be a worthwhile investment. With a 6X drive you're buying not only better performance, but additional time before obsolescence takes hold. As with previous generations of drives, 6X models should continue to fall in price, and could soon approach current 4X drive pricing.
If, like many recent buyers, you bought a system capable of controlling a moon landing, with the latest Pentium chip, a bucketful of memory, a cavernous hard disk, a sound card that sounds like you have a rock band inside your computer, and speakers designed to make sure your neighbors know they're in there, too, then there's no sense is settling for anything less than an 8X drive. You don't want your CD-ROM drive to act as an anchor on your system. 8X is the fastest drive currently available. Software developers know that they are out there -- with boatloads more soon to follow -- and are writing software to take advantage of every drop of speed an 8X can provide. If you want to see multimedia applications run at peak performance on your computer, you'll have to run them on an 8X CD-ROM drive, like the Blaster CD 8x.
Access speed is measured in milliseconds. Access speeds have steadily improved with the release of each generation of CD-ROM drives. Drive manufacturers now routinely report access speeds measured in low three figures (e.g., 180ms to 240ms). Although this seems incredibly fast, these access speeds are still quite slow when compared to those of their distant cousins, the hard disk. Hard disk manufacturers have achieved access speeds measured in single digits (e.g., 9ms). Due to inherent limitations in CD-ROM technology, CD-ROM drive manufacturers cannot hope to match such performance.
That's the bad news. The good news is that they don't have to. For when it comes to determining which CD-ROM drive is fastest, the key specification to consider is a drive's data transfer rate (i.e., is it a 2X, 4X or 8X?), not its access speed. This is because CD-ROM drives are used primarily to play multimedia applications. Most multimedia applications consist of a limited number of long data files (e.g, a video clip) rather than a multitude of short files (e.g., individual telephone numbers in a CD-ROM phone directory). In multimedia applications, your drive spends more of its time transferring data than it does searching for data. Thus, a drive's data transfer rate is a much more important specification to consider than its access speed.
The best of both worlds would be a drive that offers a fast data transfer rate and a fast access speed. If such a product has yet to be made, or if you find such a product comes at too high a price, you should focus your attention on buying a drive with the fastest data transfer rate you can afford.
Fortunately, this situation in recent years has improved dramatically. After nearly drowning in a flood of products returned by frustrated and irate customers who couldn't install them, CD-ROM drive companies began to pour substantial resources into improving their documentation, technical support and online resources. Even more important, the CD-ROM drive companies began to agree on standards which greatly simplified the installation procedure.
Today, most CD-ROM drives use what is known as an IDE interface. (An interface allows your CD-ROM drive to "talk" with the rest of your computer.)Most hard disks use the same type of interface, so you probably already have all the necessary connectors inside your computer. Alternatively, you may be able to attach your CD-ROM drive to an IDE connector that is available on many leading sound cards.
After making all the necessary cable connections, DOS and Windows 3.1 users have to run a short program to load needed software drivers ("drivers" let your computer recognize and work with new peripherals added to it) onto their system. This driver program should come with the CD-ROM drive at the time of purchase.
If you're a Windows 95 user, and the CD-ROM drive is a Plug and Play device, life is even easier. After you've made all the necessary cable connections, your computer system automatically will recognize that a new component was added and make whatever adjustments are necessary to work with this device. There is no need for you to load software drivers.
So, even if you have no experience working inside your computer, you'll probably find installation a breeze. If you run into trouble, help is only a telephone call away. There's good news even if you consider yourself a hopeless case when it comes to computers: for a modest fee, many computer resellers will install your new peripherals for you. It's more fun if you do it yourself, though, so give installation a try and see just how far the industry has progressed in making its products "user friendly."
If you plan to play music CDs on your CD-ROM drive, the ease with which you can control the CDs should be an important feature to consider as you evaluate drives. Almost all CD-ROM drives come with a software utility that you operate like the control panel on a home stereo CD player. With it you can program tracks, check track length, set the disc to loop repeatedly, and otherwise control the CD as you would on your home stereo CD player.
Although it is great to have this much functionality at your fingertips, there are many times when you might find it inconvenient to interrupt your work on screen to call up this software utility. You might want just to pop a music CD into the drive and have it play straight through.
To provide customers with the ability to control music CDs without interrupting their work, a limited number of manufacturers have added control buttons to the front panel of their CD-ROM drives. These buttons typically allow you to start and stop a music CD, as well as skip tracks. This should provide sufficient functionality for the majority of CDs that you want to play.
Music CD control buttons are an example of CD-ROM drive manufacturers working to make their products more "user friendly." If you like to listen to music, you should take advantage of this added functionality and ensure that these buttons are included on any drive that you buy.
The other loading mechanism is a disc caddy. A disc caddy is similar in size to the jewel case in which most music CDs ship. After placing a disc into the caddy, the entire caddy is inserted into the CD-ROM drive. A caddy can offer additional protection for your disc, both inside and outside the drive. However, this extra protection comes at a cost. Caddies can be difficult to find and expensive to purchase. They crack and break on occasion, and also can become wedged inside the drive.
For these reasons, the majority of CD-ROM drive manufacturers build their drives with the simpler, less expensive tray mechanisms. Unless you have a one-of-a-kind disc that requires maximum protection, you should find a tray mechanism sufficient for your daily computing requirements.
The number of years a company has been in business is one good indicator of how you will be treated if you have a problem. Substantial companies that have been in business for several years have developed mechanisms to quickly and efficiently deal with customer problems. However, if you buy your CD-ROM drive at a neighborhood flea market, despite the seller's claim that your purchase is covered by a hundred year warranty, it's unlikely that you'll find him there the next day, never mind the next year, if you experience a problem with your product.
Your safest bet to is buy from a company with an established track record. The computer business is extremely competitive. Companies that offer products of poor quality, or who support them inadequately, don't stay in business very long. Check to see if the company you plan to buy from has been in business for more than five years. If so, you'll know that it has stood the test of time, and probably will still be in business if you need help with your CD-ROM drive a few years down the road. However, if the company that offers you an unusually low price, or an unusually long warranty, can lay claim to a heritage measured only in weeks or months, ask yourself if it is worth the risk to do business with them. The few dollars that you may save in the short run could turn into a complete loss if the company that offered you a "lifetime" warranty has no life left within it when you turn to them for help.
When leading CD-ROM drive manufacturers need software titles to include with their drives and bundles, they strike deals with the world's top CD-ROM software companies. These manufacturers have access to the latest titles, in some cases even before the titles are made available to the general public. They also have the financial strength to buy software in huge volumes, often at a fraction of the retail price, and can pass the savings along to their customers. You'll find many of the software titles bundled with top CD-ROM drives on sale -- at their full retail price -- at computer stores, and included in the software best-seller lists published by computer magazines and online services, such as c|net. If you bought just a few of these titles at full price, you'd wind up spending as much as you would for a top CD-ROM drive bundled with the identical titles.
There is, however, another source of CD-ROM titles for companies without the influence and financial strength of the major CD-ROM drive manufacturers. Throughout the world, there are warehouses filled with CD-ROM titles that were flops in the retail market. With so many software developers in the world, and so little shelf space available in stores where their products can be sold, it is inevitable that only a few titles are successful. The CD-ROM software business is like the film industry in that for every hit it produces, it generates a dozen or more titles that are bombs. Bombs that can be had for a few cents apiece from companies that are desperate to clear out their warehouses. Bombs that all too often find their way -- frequently in great quantity -- into the bundles of obscure CD-ROM drive vendors.
The key word here is "quantity." If you find a CD-ROM bundle that offers 50 or more titles, the reason that you can get so many so cheaply is simple; no one else wanted them. Quantity is one trick companies use to distract customers from the lack of quality in their software bundles.
Another is extensive use of outdated products. You may decide to buy a bundle because many of the included software titles sounded familiar. The only problem is, after you open the box, you discover that you don't have the current version of those familiar titles; yours are dated 1991 or 1992. They have been aged to perfection in a warehouse for several years before they arrived in your home.
If you wouldn't buy a newspaper or magazine that is several years old, why accept software that in dog years would be dead by now? Before you buy a CD-ROM drive or a multimedia upgrade kit, carefully check the quality of the software bundle. Make sure that your money is buying you something of value -- and not just buying a software distributor some more space in his warehouse.
Fortunately, you don't have to accept at face value the glowing praises computer companies lavish upon their own products. There exists a neutral forum in which products are reviewed dispassionately, manufacturer's claims are tested, and frauds exposed for all to see. Where can you find this forum? Why, it's as close as your nearest neighborhood magazine stand.
Computer magazines love to test things. They build test centers, design test programs, and hire as testers people who love to tear products -- and the occasional company reputation -- to shreds. Although you'll find on the editorial staff of computer magazines some of technology's greatest champions, you'll also find there some of its harshest critics. Nothing gives them more pleasure than deflating the exaggerated -- or just plain false -- claims of manufacturers.
Product reviews in computer magazines level the playing field for all participants. Companies cannot tweak test hardware to their benefit, or report stupendous results from applications not found in the real world. Magazine testers typically use computers that are set up like the average consumer might use them, and run tests that mimic routine tasks. Real world conditions yield real world results. And the real world frequently turns out to be a far different place than the world depicted in magazine ads and product spec sheets.
So, before you make a purchase, look for magazine reviews of the product. The review should tell you not only how the product performs under real world conditions, but also how its stacks up against its competitors. If a product you want to buy was released only recently, and not yet reviewed by magazines, you should look for reviews of previous generations of the same product. That at least will give you an indication of the manufacturer's ability to produce a quality product that performs well both on its own, and in comparison to its competitors.
Copyright ©1995, 1996
Creative Labs, Inc.