My CD burner just croaked!

[1pump]

Went to go burn a few MP3's for a long road trip tomorrow but my CD writer had other ideas.
It started making a hallacious racket, and when I finally got it to eject it did this neat little trick where it ejected the CD while it was still spinning at full speed. That was kinda cool.
Anyway, should I go the cheap route and just get a new CD burner or should I pop for one of those snazzy DVD burners? I don't know anybody that has one. Are they worth the $150 (or more)? Any brands better than others? :whazzup: And are they an easy swap? I have this gaping hole in my computer that I would like to plug ASAP.

[Elwix]

Sorry to hear about your CD recorder. I've had a few die on me over the years.
[img]graemlins/program.gif[/img] I've wondered about the recordable DVDs you mentioned. The sheer volume of data you can put on one disk is cool, but blank dvds are pricier than blank cds. Still, I've considered getting one on one of my machines. I've never bought one though, so I can't give you any info on them.
[img]graemlins/program.gif[/img] I've installed dozens of CD recorders though. Replacing one is pretty straight forward, but keep in mind that unless your cd recording software is new, you may have to update your recorder software when you install a new cd recorder. Or you may simply have to install the software bundled with your new recorder to make it work. Your old software might not recognize your new drive.
The best cd recorder I've owned was a Ricoh brand, but most brands of cd recorders seen to be pretty good. Most come bundled with software either by Nero or Roxio. I prefer Roxio's software.
Before you buy either a cd recorder or a dvd recorder I would highly recommend that you check the prices at http://www.enuinc.com. That's the website of a store in Portland where I buy most of my computer parts. (and I buy a lot of them) They've got an impressive inventory of quality parts (including both cd and dvd recorders) at very good prices, and all their prices are posted online. Their website also tells you if an item is in stock at either of their stores before you leave home. (or the office) That's handy too. Most of the parts are on shelves behind the counter so it's not a place to browse. It's a good place to buy parts though.
[img]graemlins/program.gif[/img] Good luck with your recorder and your long road trip.

[Mr. Carp]

I know the frustration, my floppy just quit as well.

As far as a DVD burner is concerned, I have on, but don't use it that much. I think the making movies idea is pretty much impossible(at least what I have found), but they do hold a trememendous amount of data and it is awesome to play a cool DVD on my 21" monitor with surround sound. (I don't have a descent TV, so I watch DVD's on the comp and the monitor gives such an awesome pic).

[The Fishing Geek]

Are DVD writers worth the money? Only if you are archiving your own home movies, otherwise...no.

CD burners are easy to install, and come with good instructions usually. Watch the Office Depot/Office Max ads, as they have some great prices after rebate that will usually even beat ENU. Blank CDs can be had for very cheap as well if you follow the ads. As low as ten cents a CD is not unheard of.

[Cool Texan]

Blank CD's are often free too...after rebates. Circuit City runs that special all the time.

[1pump]

Thanx for the tips! As far as the software, I have Adaptec Direct CD, but I don't care for it and would just as soon replace it. The new CD rewriters seem to be much faster than my old 8x/4x/32x, so I don't know about compatability with the old software anyway. :whazzup:
BTW, I've been told to stay away from the really cheap CD/R's due to lousy quality, like dead spots, skips, etc. Anybody had these issues?

I won't have time 'til Friday to replace my burner. Until then, I'll be doing 600 miles a day with my old tunes. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img] It sucks to be me.