External CD drive recommendations?

[Cato]

I need an external CD drive for the new windows (workshop) laptop, anything to avoid or a stand out to definitely go for?

BTW, I'm asking on here because there's a lower geekery per post response to IT questions than you see on forums more geared to those questions. Plus there's a better class of badinage obviously.

 

[skotl]

I think you'd struggle to find a high quality (or, to be fair, low quality) external CD drive in 2023. These are becoming redundant technologies and so the price has fallen to the floor and they are really little more than consumables now.

If I had a need for one I'd buy one of the £15 jobs on Amazon and replace it if it broke.

From a technical perspective there is going to be very little difference between anything on sale there. USB is unlikely to be the bottleneck for a mechanical drive, so I wouldn't get too caught up on anything being advertised as 3GB/sec, 6GB/sec, USB2, USB3 etc.

 

[pawsnizzy]

I've got a Liteon USB - cheapest on Amazon, and it's been fine for the use it gets

 

[Cato]

I think you'd struggle to find a high quality (or, to be fair, low quality) external CD drive in 2023. These are becoming redundant technologies and so the price has fallen to the floor and they are really little more than consumables now.

If I had a need for one I'd buy one of the £15 jobs on Amazon and replace it if it broke.

From a technical perspective there is going to be very little difference between anything on sale there. USB is unlikely to be the bottleneck for a mechanical drive, so I wouldn't get too caught up on anything being advertised as 3GB/sec, 6GB/sec, USB2, USB3 etc.

I get what you're saying, it's just some of the software that I need to use is on CD so I need the drive to load it.

Off to Amazon it is then, thanks gents.

 

[skotl]

I get what you're saying, it's just some of the software that I need to use is on CD so I need the drive to load it.

Off to Amazon it is then, thanks gents.

It's not gonna not work

 

[gaz1]

still buy them

Optical Drives | CCL

Optical Drives

www.cclonline.com

i use a normal one and a usb to hard drive caddy works the same way

https://www.cclonline.com/search/?q=usb+dvd

 

[Ross365]

I use a Samsung external for backup, bought in 2016, so very happy with it, but no doubt quite obsolete.

 

[Seadog]

I've a 15yo HP CD/DVD. It works perfectly. Its a burner as well.

 

[clogs]

I've had an ASUS slimline for a couple of years,no problems at all.It's only about 3/4" high,so very little space required.

 

[tigdlo]

I've got an old Dell SFF with Linux, I use that to rip the ISO and use a virtual drive in WIN 10.

 

[droopsnoot]

I'm sure I've got an old Iomega writer that you'd be welcome to for the postage, but I can't find it at the moment. I've seen it recently, just need to find it again.

 

[Robotstar5]

I'm sure I've got an old Iomega writer that you'd be welcome to for the postage, but I can't find it at the moment. I've seen it recently, just need to find it again.

I had an Iomega Zip drive, 100 MB on a removable drive was a revelation at the time

 

[Cato]

I'm sure I've got an old Iomega writer that you'd be welcome to for the postage, but I can't find it at the moment. I've seen it recently, just need to find it again.

Kind offer thanks, but I'm all Amazon'd up now for the princely sum of £14:00 including post. It'll likely get used twice at the weekend to load the software then go into the box of doom for gadgets. Thinking about it, I should probably have looked in said box before ordering one.

 

[ukracer]

I purchased a litescribe one many years ago. Works fine a Cd/DVD /Blueray but I actually purchased it for its labeling capabilities.
Sadly the media supply dried up....having said that I am either dreaming or I have seem some on Amazon lately.....I must check.

 

[gaz1]

I purchased a litescribe one many years ago. Works fine a Cd/DVD /Blueray but I actually purchased it for its labeling capabilities.
Sadly the media supply dried up....having said that I am either dreaming or I have seem some on Amazon lately.....I must check.

ive got the litescribe ones never used them for that though

but i also have the printer as well for cds and other things comes in handy for printing labels and many stuff

the one thing my printer does also is print rolls as well also with some software i can print large labels to small ones

 

[ukracer]

ive got the litescribe ones never used them for that though

but i also have the printer as well for cds and other things comes in handy for printing labels and many stuff

the one thing my printer does also is print rolls as well also with some software i can print large labels to small ones

What printer is that?
What size rolls?

 

[gaz1]

a4 size rolls if you want

the printer reference is any printer can be fitted to print from rolls all depends on the software that is being used

these are stick on labels a4 reference from the press it cd/dvds

SL2P - Press-It Compatible CD/DVD Labels 118mm

A4 Sheet of 2 Press it Compatible CD / DVD Labels suitable for most inkjet and laser printers and copiers. Label size is 118 mm diameter. SL2P is compatible to Press-it format

uklabels.com

the labels

stick on printer labels - Google Search

and yes you can use the rolls

 

[ukracer]

a4 size rolls if you want

the printer reference is any printer can be fitted to print from rolls all depends on the software that is being used

these are stick on labels a4 reference from the press it cd/dvds

SL2P - Press-It Compatible CD/DVD Labels 118mm

A4 Sheet of 2 Press it Compatible CD / DVD Labels suitable for most inkjet and laser printers and copiers. Label size is 118 mm diameter. SL2P is compatible to Press-it format

uklabels.com

the labels

stick on printer labels - Google Search

and yes you can use the rolls

What software do you use..?

 

[gaz1]

epson has its own software for cd printing

for label printing you can get it by choosing the right software that you need

i dont print those labels not in a long while though the print it software was ok to use

 

[hotponyshoes]

I remember lightscribe....
I used to have a laptop with it on.
I'd take videos of the girls horses then put them onto a cd with my logo & the horses name on.
Gave up as I expected it to get me laid a lot more than it actually did....

Mine was monochrome only. Did they ever release a colour version?