You Can Copy CDs With CD Rewriter

Build a better mousetrap and the world produces smarter mice â€” at least that's the story with CD-ROM software. <br><br>Besides offering plenty of data storage space in the days before PC hard drives

Monday, November 20th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Build a better mousetrap and the world produces smarter mice â€” at least that's the story with CD-ROM software.

Besides offering plenty of data storage space in the days before PC hard drives were measured in gigabytes, CD-ROMs were supposed to reduce illegal software copying by using a form most consumers couldn't duplicate.

Today, an internal CD-RW (read-write) drive for a desktop PC costs less than $100. It will copy a full 650-MB CD in about 20 minutes and copy music from audio CDs. Both are copyright hot buttons, which is why the copying software, Adaptec's Easy CD Creator, solemnly intones in capital letters:

``This product or software may be used to assist you in reproducing material in which you own the copyright or have obtained permission to copy from the copyright owner.

``Unless you own the copyright or have permission to copy from the copyright owner, you may be violating copyright law and be subject to payment of damages and other remedies. If you are uncertain about your rights, you should contact your legal advisor.''

One of the niftier CD-RW products for owners of multiple PCs or PC-laptops is the Micro Solutions backpack cd-rewriter, which comes close to being all things to all PCs.

The widget weighs about 4.5 pounds, has its own power supply, and connects to the PC through either the parallel port or a USB port. It's 4x4x24, which in English means it writes as fast as a quad-speed CD-ROM drive, rewrites at the same speed and reads data as fast as a 24-speed drive.

It's hot-pluggable on the parallel port, so you can attach it without restarting the PC.

Since it's portable, it can be used on more than one machine â€” a good solution for those who don't want to install an internal drive in every machine they have, or, in the case of a laptop, can't.

It's also very useful for creating complex presentations or graphics on a durable medium that can be passed among several users. For example: A small sales staff with multiple products could build a presentation library to use on the road. The software install accompanying the cd-rewriter is on CD-ROM, and the company thoughtfully gets around the ``Catch-22'' of those lacking a CD drive by including appropriate drivers on a 3.5-inch floppy.

It worked as advertised, copying both data and audio CDs nicely. It also functioned well in creating a data backup CD and moving a graphics collection off the hard drive, freeing space. The read-write function gave hope of saving several years of financial data on something more enduring â€” and certainly more convenient â€” than floppy disks. For those connecting through the parallel port, there's a pass-through that allows a printer connection too.

If you have more than one PC, the Micro Solution cd-rewriter, at $269 suggested retail, is worth a look. If you have only one machine, the better economic choice is an internal drive.

The drive wants to see a Pentium or equivalent processor, parallel or USB ports (some models also work with a PC-card slot) and at least 16 MB of RAM. It works with Windows 95, 98, ME 2000 and NT 4, with the caveat that 95 and NT 4 eliminate the USB option. Appropriate cables are included.

Micro Solutions, of DeKalb, Ill., has been around since 1980, which is forever in PC years. More information, including retail outlets, is available on the Web at http://www.micro-solutions.com, or by calling (800) 890-7227.

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Questions and comments are welcome. Mail to Larry Blasko, AP, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020-1666. Or e-mail through the Internet to lblasko(at)ap.org.