I blogged earlier about the Asus S400 CA laptop that the Wife got for herself here. The S400 CA is an ultrabook, which is a series of laptop that has certain specifications from Intel here. It could be seen as Intel's response to the Macbook Air.
The S400 CA does not have a DVD/CD drive and we bought one of the cheapest drive we could find, the Samsung External DVD Writer (SE-208AB). I blogged about this DVD earlier on but I may have deleted that post.
So I am typing this from memory.
The technical specifications and features.
General Feature
| Drive Type | DVD Writer | |
|---|---|---|
| Enclosure Type | External | |
| Drive Height | Slim (12.7mm) | |
| Loading Type | Tray | |
| Interface | USB 2.0 | |
| DrIve Mounting | Horizontal | |
| Buffer Memory | 1.0MB | |
| Supported Disc Formats | DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-Video, DVD+R DL, DVD-R DL, DVD-RAM, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-DA, CD+E (G), CD-MIDI, CD-TEXT, CD-ROM XA, Mixed Mode CD, CD-I, CD-I Bridge (Photo-CD, Video-CD), Multisession CD (Photo-CD, CD-EXTRA, Portfolio) |
Data Transfer Rate
| DVD+R | Write | 8X (10.8MB/sec) |
|---|---|---|
| Read | 8X (10.8MB/sec) | |
| DVD+R Dual Layer | Write | 6X (8.1MB/sec) |
| Read | 6X (8.1MB/sec) | |
| DVD-R | Write | 8X (10.8MB/sec) |
| Read | 8X (10.8MB/sec) | |
| DVD-R Dual Layer | Write | 6X (8.1MB/sec) |
| Read | 6X (8.1MB/sec) | |
| DVD+RW | Write | 8X (10.8MB/sec) |
| Read | 8X (10.8MB/sec) | |
| DVD-RW | Write | 6X (8.1MB/sec) |
| Read | 8X (10.8MB/sec) | |
| DVD-RAM | Write | 5X (6.75MB/sec) |
| Read | 5X (6.75MB/sec) | |
| CD-R | Write | 24X (3.6MB/sec) |
| Read | 24X (3.6MB/sec) | |
| CD-RW | Write | 24X (3.6MB/sec) |
| Read | 24X (3.6MB/sec) | |
| CD-ROM | Read | 24X (3.6MB/sec) |
Performance Feature
| Average Access Time | CD-ROM | 150ms |
|---|---|---|
| DVD-ROM | 150ms |
Technology
| AV Connectivity | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed Adjustment Technology: S.A.T | Yes | |
| Double O.P.C Technology | Yes | |
| Firmware Live Update | Yes | |
| Tilt Actuator Compensation Technology: T.A.C | Yes | |
| Buffer Underrun Free Technology | Yes | |
| E-Co Product : RoHS | Yes |
Physical Features
| Product Weight&Dimension | Dimension (WxHxD) | 146.0 x 20.8 x 144.0mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 300g | |
| Retail Kit Weight&Dimension | Dimension (WxHxD) | 169 x 181 x 47mm |
| Weight | 460g |
The outer box.
I bought it from Challenger.
Its tagline says 'Record your memories forever'. I cant believe
they used such a cheesy line.
The actual unboxing.
The DVD drive has a nice black sheen to it.
It is not as slim as I expected.
From the top, it does look slim.
Another view.
Despite attempts from Apple and Intel at making DVD drive redundant, I do not think it will happen anytime soon. However, I do see it eventually happening as the ever increasing usage of USB thumbdrive and solid state drive.
Software manufacturers has provided options of downloading their products online. Even games can be purchased online, like Steam. Unfortunately, this would be more effective for countries with fast internet speed. Internet speed has not progressed uniformly. ADSL or slower would be more better with a DVD drive.
