Lite-on ETDU108 slim DVD drive
Burning ambition?
Review So ubiquitous has DVD burning become that when Lite-on sent us its ETDU108 slimline external optical drive, we naturally assumed it could write DVD±R/RW discs. It was only when we tried unsuccessfully to burn one that we realised our assumption was incorrect.
Liteon's ETDU108: read only
The ETDU108 is a read-only device designed solely for the purpose of getting content onto your computer but not off it.
Lite-on's motivation for releasing such a product is the vast number of netbooks out there, all lacking optical drives. This means they can't be used to watch DVDs or to install new software direct from discs.
The same applies to the emerging class of very thin laptop pioneered by the likes of Apple's MacBook Air that likewise lack built-in optical drives of any kind.
Owners of these machines represent a new market for Lite-on. While slimline optical drives aren't new they have largely commanded a price premium because sales volumes were low and they were seen as a more desirable alternative to bulky desktop drives.
Compact
No longer. The ETDU108 can be picked up for between £25 and £30, which is eminently affordable for anyone who wants to hook it up to a netbook for DVD viewing or software installation.
COMMENTS
DVD rom only?
Quite old school to be honest, and as many people have said, a burner isn't much more expensive.
Ever since my main PC blew up a year and a half ago, I can't afford to replace it completely (apparently, the new power supply works fine, but presumably something else is dead), and I need to burn things off my EEE 1000HE.
I bought the one Ian McNee mentions, 54 euros, and with only two USB slots used for power to burn (reading seems fine with just one), it's a nifty drive which suits my needs. Fairly decent build too, whilst plastic it feels secure, though I wouldn't trust my cat to sit on it when it's running.
I have one..
I have this model and its great.
it works well on an old 701 8gb i had a while ago.
but some early laptops cannot power it. as it claims on the back it need's DC-5volts at 1.5A
There also do a writer version for only £42.50 which comes with the double usb lead.
Only stupid thing about it is the four feet on the bottom are not as higher than the cable that fits in the back. so does not sit right on table when not in use. also the usb plug is the wrong way up so you have to twist the cable round to put it in a normal usb port..
@All
Speaking as someone who uses a thin'n'light laptop - as opposed to a netbook - I *do* see the value in having a drive capable of burning. I've burned a lot of Linux distro disc on the no-name external drive I keep in the office.
£30 seems a bit much...
For £24.50 I got a slimline DVD-ROM/+RW/-RW/RAM drive and a sleek black external enclosure for it.
Assembly was a breeze! You pushed the drive into the enclosure until it clicked, and tightened two screws in the back to hold it in place. I've come across more difficult phone batteries to replace than this. Just about everyone can do it. Hell for £35 you could buy it and probably find someone to assemble it for you (It's literally a 20 second job, I'd do it for £10 no problem).
While I admit I don't often need burning capability on my netbook, why not have the feature just in case? Especially as it's cheaper.
Not to mention the fact that you can use the drive with other machines. Can't tell you how many times I plugged the drive into a friends or work computer to burn DVD's, because their drive can't do it.
Honestly I see no point the reviewed product. It's more expensive, bigger and has fewer features than what you can get in online shops.
Netbook + Nero + Dongle = BSOD
This is a good idea. There are problems with media writing software (Nero and Roxio that I know of for sure) forking up the USB handlers so that when a 3G dongle is plugged in a BSOD is generated. With this device you won't be tempted to install that shitty software and spend days trying to fix the problem.
