Verdict:
The specification of the drive is up to par, but when you look at the extras offered by other units, this package just doesn't add up.
LG CED-8080B
At roughly the same price as
some of its rivals, yet lacking their extras, the CED-8080B package doesn't
really cut the mustard.
The LG CED-8080B is an internal unit rated at the increasingly common standard
of eight-speed CD-R, four-speed CD-RW and 32-speed CDRom.
The package includes not only a hefty multi-lingual manual on setting up and using the drive itself, but also a volume on the burning and packet writing software that accompanies the drive.
In the box you'll also find one CD-R and one CD-RW disc, plus EIDE and audio cables. LG has chosen Adaptec's Easy CD Creator and DirectCD combo (versions 3.5c and 2.5d respectively) for all your CD-RW needs. To top off the package, a floppy disk of MS-DOS CDRom extensions is also included to provide access to the drive from DOS.
Performance, however, was erratic to say the least. It hovered near the top of the group for read speeds, but then plummeted to the bottom for CD-RW writing. CD-R performance saw it placed around the middle, with a CD-RW format taking 29 minutes and 48 seconds.
The price of £199 including VAT puts it in the same league as the Creative offering, which showed similar performance overall. However, the package that Creative has put forward makes the LG look somewhat lacking.
Verdict:
The specification of the
drive is up to par, but when you look at the extras offered by other units, this
package just doesn't add up.