USB compliant interfaces  enable you to exchange components among running systems as your needs dictate, with multiple points of connection for convenience.

If your national brand computer came with Windows 98 installed, you probably have USB installed.  Garage-built systems and upgrades may require configuration changes.

With USB, everything has to work exactly right.  When it does,  the quick connection feature of these devices is  fantastic.  But it doesn't ALWAYS  work exactly right.  There are SOME combinations of hardware and software that MIGHT choke on SOME  USB devices.

If you do have problems, Iomega provides excellent support options, including online support at http://iomega.com, email, and telephone support.

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IOMEGA USB External CD Rewritable
Record CD's externally: 4x through the USB connection!

UPDATE- USB 2.0 version now available- write at up to 16x

Looking for this item? -  get it here...

USB CD Rewritable Drive from Iomega- portable convenience...

If you're looking for an easy, inexpensive way to add the ability to burn CD's to one or more computers, the Iomega USB CD-RW Drive may be exactly what you need.  Whether you're collecting music, archiving data, or sharing large multimedia files, this package has everything you're likely to need.

Long known as pioneers in high-capacity, portable, external data storage systems,  Iomega packages everything you need to make good use of this rewritable CD drive.  External, portable, and easy to connect, this convenient system goes where you go.  All it needs is a Windows 98 computer (or suitably configured MAC) with USB connections.

An obvious use for this nifty little device is maintaining backups.  With virtually unlimited capacity, and the price of CD-R media now around a quarter each (sometimes even free after rebate), it's a viable solution for smaller installations.  Ours came bundled with an automated  real-time data backup program for just this purpose.

With the bundled software, you can easily accomplish what you want the drive to do.  Adaptec's EZ CD Creator provides an intuitive, drag-and drop interface for what used to be a fairly tricky procedure.  Copying CD's, compiling data archives, or mixing music disks is  relatively simple.

If you have a specific, more immediate goal, the CD-RW package includes specialty programs from Adobe, Adaptec, Iomega and others for handling digital music files, sharing photographs with family and friends, or using your CD-RW like a really high capacity Zip Drive- writing and rewriting files directly to the CD (MAC software varies).  There's even a program for using the CD-RW for automatic synchronized backups.

Affordable performance...

External CD devices are nothing new of course.  They've been around for years.  But the USB connection is still relatively new at this price-range, and it makes this portable CD rewriter a practical solution for a wide range of people.

Next, it's easy to use.  For those unfamiliar with CD burning procedures, the software has a wizard style interface to help avoid mistakes.  Burning CD's with this package is much easier than programming a VCR.  Really, anyone who's likely to read this will have no problem.

On top of that, it's portable. It's USB.  Disconnect from one system, plug into another.  No rebooting, no printer pass-through ports that seldom work with our specific printers.  The only problem is, some of our older systems are too primitive to take advantage of the USB connection.  Fortunately, they're networked with a newer system.

In April, 2001, we've typically seen this external USB CD-RW advertised around $199.  As is usually the case with electronics, prices have dropped rapidly, so you'll likely get much more for less by shopping with our recommended vendors.  Ours was a bit of a shock, at first.  Despite the artwork on the box, somehow we were not expecting a two-toned charcoal and purple, semi-freeform quasi-futuristic case.  Call us old-fashioned, but we still think of this stuff as machinery.

Hooking it up...

Iomega's external  power supply is a slim design with its own power cord, a thoughtful touch that won't hog outlet space. 

Instructions are minimal.  Install the software, plug in the USB cable, and turn the unit on.  Sure enough, within seconds a new CD drive icon materializes in the Windows 98 file manager, and we have a fully functional CD writer ready to go to work.

A matter of personal taste...

All in all, we have only one criticism of this product.  It's portable and lightweight, but seems way bigger than it ought to be.  There's something disconcertingly 70's about the styling and the presentation, but that's just our personal taste.  Your results may vary.  Underneath all that, the Iomega USB Rewritable CD appears to be a solid product, one that we're glad to have available when we need it.

Get the IOMEGA USB CD-RW Drive Now
 

DIRECT CONNECT AT AMAZON.COM:
Iomega USB CDRW...

UPDATE- USB 2.0 version now available- write at up to 16x
Backward compatible with USB 1.1, or add a USB 2.0 card.

Iomega Panther USB 2.0 CDRW...

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