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Sony
CRX140E CD Writer Review
Installation
of the Sony CRX140E is no harder than the installation of any CD
ROM. The manual comes with very complete instructions, including a
step by step quick start guide. Unlike the HP 9100, there is no
install video but none is really needed. I installed the CRX140E
to its own IDE channel on my Abit
VT6X4 motherboard. You can install the Sony CRX140E as a stand
alone CD Writer or with your existing CD ROM drive. Since most
people like to make backups of their CDs, the second option is the
most common and it's the install I used. With its well written
quick start install sheet, I'm sure anyone will be able to install
this writer without any problems.
Once
the CD Writer and software was installed it was time to burn some
CDs. Using my standard test CD which contains 640 Megs of data, I
pop it into my CD ROM and put the included blank Sony CD-R disc in
the CRX140E. You have to make sure your CD-R disc can handle
burning at 8X. Many do not. Besides the Sony CD-R, I've found
Maxell 623310 works very well. The full 640 Meg CD took just 17
minutes to test and burn, the same as the HP 9100i. So far, I have
burn over a dozen CDs and have yet to make a coaster. This is a
very reliable unit.
While
the software bundled with the Sony CDX140E is nice, it's not as
complete as what is offered with the HP 9100i. Both CD Writers
comes with Adaptec Direct CD and Easy CD Creator but the HP
9100i gives a few more software titles and comes with that
cool CD label kit. Adaptec Direct CD and Easy CD
Creator are really easy to use and are some of the best CD making
software programs for the beginner and a good choice to include
with the Sony.
| Approximate Cost of various Media |
Approximate Cost
per 650 Megabytes |
| 650-megabyte CD-R disc $1.00 each |
$1.00 |
| 650-megabyte CD-RW disc $6.00 each |
$6.00 |
| 1.44-megabyte floppy diskette $.50 each |
$225.00 |
| 100-megabyte removable cartridge $15.00 each |
$97.00 |
| 2-gigabyte removable cartridge $125.00 each |
$40.00 |
When
it comes to backing up media, you simply can't beat the cost of a
CD-R. With a street price of about $190.00, the Sony CRX140E
offers a fast way to create your own CDs. The unit is as easy to
use as a floppy drive. With a read speed of 32X, it can even
replace your CD ROM.
The Sony unit looks really good in my case. The
color of the unit matches perfectly with the both the case and the
16X Pioneer DVD ROM. It looks a lot better than the HP 9100i which
has a color scheme that only seems to match HP computers.
What really set off the Sony CRX140E is the
price. At just $189, it's among the least expensive 8X CD writer
on the market. A full $50 less than the HP 9100. If you don't need
all the extra the HP offers, then the Sony CRX140E is a good way
to go.
The Goods
- 8X CD burn speed
- Good price for all the features
- Good software bundle
- Easy to install
The Bads
- Sony turn me down for the Visa
Rating:
8/10
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