backpack USB 2.0 triple play CD-rewriter from MicroSolutions Computer Times Editor's Choice

Computer Times
April 2002

Editor's Choice Software

Backpack USB 2.0 Triple Play CD-Rewriter

The external backpack USB 2.0 triple play CD-rewriter (Retail $229) from MicroSolutions, comes with everything you need to support three interfaces: hi-speed USB 2.0 adapter with cable, PC Card with cable, and parallel port cable. This is a no-nonsense unit that lets you start writing or copying CD's minutes after you open the box.

At Computer Times, we have always felt that MicroSolutions is the premier developer of external CD-ROM drives. We have been reviewing their products for several years and they just keep getting better. This latest offering from MicroSolutions has our highest recommendation as an Editor's Choice BEST Buy.

This unit, model 195200, provides write, rewrite, read speeds of 32x10x40, an incredible upgrade from the earlier units we featured in our March issue which provided top speeds of 8x8x32. With a comfortable weight of 4lbs. 8oz., the backpack USB 2.0 triple play CD-rewriter is perfectly suited for road warriors who need CD backup capability while away from the office. This unit is also well suited for anyone who has a laptop or multiple systems to support.

Even beginners will have no trouble with this unit. As a Plug & Play device, you simply install the software on any Pentium PC and plug the backpack USB 2.0 triple play CD-rewriter into your parallel port, PC Card slot, USB port or Hi Speed USB 2.0 port. In addition to its versatility, this unit is built to last with its sturdy design.

If you need to plug it into your parallel port, where your printer usually resides, you will not lose your print capability. This CD-rewriter has a smart pass-through port (for your printer) so you never lose your printer when connected to the parallel port. This is a very nice feature. While you can get higher speeds with the USB 2.0 and PC Card interfaces, you may need to use the parallel port with disaster recovery and disk imaging software in DOS when USB and PC Card support is not present.

The backpack USB 2.0 triple play CD-rewriter comes with all the software you need to create your own CDs and is great for:

Publishing information on CDs
Creating audio CDs
Sharing spreadsheets, presentations and reports
Downloading Internet files
Saving and editing graphic images and photographs
Disaster recovery
Hard drive imaging

PRODUCT FEATURES

Attach to USB 2.0 port, PC Card slot and Parallel Port - perfect for desktop and notebook PCs
Supports both USB and Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Built-in buffer underrun protection
Hot Pluggable with USB, PC Card and Parallel Port. You can attach and detach the drive without restarting your PC under Windows 95† , 98,Me, 2000 and XP
Rewrite CD-RW, write CD-R and read CD-ROM discs
Create your own custom CDs - both audio and data
Works with disaster recovery and disk imaging software through the parallel port in DOS
Includes CD creation tools software for both audio and data CDs
Use CD-RW discs for up to 700MB of rewritable storage per disc
Use CD-R discs for archiving or distributing up to 700MB of data
Use CD-RW discs to update and rewrite data like a diskette
MPC 2 compliant with USB, PC Card and EPP/ECP
Device drivers for Windows (95† , 98, Me, 2000, XP and NT 4†) included
Includes uninstall utility to remove software drivers from Windows
Plays both CD-ROM program and audio CDs
Can be daisy-chained with other backpack drives
Smart pass-through port (for your printer) allows you to print without disconnecting the drive when attached to the parallel port
Uses industry standard Universal Serial Bus (USB), PC Card and Micro Solutions' patented parallel port interface technology
Supports LPT1 - LPT3

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

IBM compatible Pentium
USB port, PC Card slot or standard EPP/ECP parallel port
Microsoft Windows 95†, 98, Me, 2000, XP or NT 4†
16MB RAM min., 32MB RAM recommended
10MB free hard drive space per minute of music to be recorded

SPECIFICATIONS

Triple Play Performance*	USB 2.0 32X write, 10X rewrite, 40X read (max.) PC Card Type II 12X write, 10X rewrite, 12X read (max.) EPP/ECP 8X write, 8X rewrite, 8X read (max.) USB 6X write, 6X rewrite, 6X read (max.)

Buffer Underrun Protection	Yes

Typical Access Time	100 milliseconds average

Supported Media	High Sierra, ISO 9660, CD-ROM XA, Photo CD, MultiRead CD-RW, CD-R and CD-audio format

Recording Media	CD-RW, CD-R

Bundled Software	CD authoring and CD editing tools software

Write Speeds	4X - 32X**

Rewrite Speeds	2X - 10X**

Read Speeds	40X 6.0MB/s max. with Hi-Speed USB 2.0 2.5MB/s max. with PC Card Type II 1.2MB/s max. with EPP/ECP 1.0MB/s max. with USB

Power Consumption	14 watts, universal power supply included.

Line Voltage Range	100 - 240 VAC

Operating Temperature	41°F - 95°F (5°C - 35°C)

MTBF	120,000 POH @ 20% utilization

Approvals	UL, CSA, FCC class B, CE, TÜV, SEMKO

Dimensions	2 3/16"(h) x 7 1/16"(w) x 11 3/4"(l) 5.6cm (h) x 17.9cm (w) x 29.8cm (l)

Weight	4lbs, 8oz. (2067g); power supply - 9oz. (247g); parallel port cable - 5oz. (142g); PC Card and cable - 3.3oz. (95g); USB 2.0 cable - 1.5oz. (45g)

Warranty	1 year

To find great prices on hardware and software we recommend you start with Office Depot. Just click on the Office Depot ad below and you will be connected directly with Office Depot on the Internet.

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