CD Drives

If you're not in the market for a DVD burner, the Lite-On LTR-52327S's performance, documentation, tech support, and modest price make this CD-RW drive a must-have.

MSI's quiet, solidly constructed CR52-M has a number of interesting design flourishes, but we prefer Lite-On's faster LTR-52327S.

Samsung's low-priced SW-252 offers top-notch CD-R performance, a great out-of-box experience, and 24/7 phone support, making it a good buy for beginners.

If you can live with fewer setup amenities, the LiteOn offers top-flight performance at an affordable price.

The LaCie offers solid and speedy performance, but its bulky size and weight limit its portability.

If you want a fast drive that's easy to share, pick the CenDyne external USB 2.0 CD-RW. It offers a low price and easy setup, and it masters more CDs per hour than any external unit we've tested.

If you want cutting-edge CD-RW speed at a low price, this 40X/12X/48X-rated drive delivers both with few frills--and few compromises. It's a good budget buy for consumers and small businesses.

The Backpack could be great for offices with a diverse inventory of PCs because it's capable, rugged, and compatible with just about any computer ever made. But its packet-writing software puts the Backpack a bit behind in the applications curve.

We love the Spyder's low-profile, retro design and all of its features and extras. But at nearly two pounds, it's almost twice the weight of most travel CD-RW drives.

With a big software bundle and speedy performance, this is the perfect drive for anyone new to the CD-R/RW world.

An adequate CD-R/RW drive, the Que Fire demonstrated mixed audio and marginal read performance, but it was the better of the FireWire drives we tested.

The Predator's portability, novel design, and cross-platform compatibility make it a useful product for burning on the fly.

If you want a sturdy, external CD-RW drive, the HP CD Writer 8230e is affordable and offers a lot of bells and whistles.

The ZipCD 650 USB is a decent choice if you want a low-cost, external CD-RW. Though poky, it's reliable, unlike its competitor from QPS.