Iomega 32214 Predator External 24x10x40 USB 1.1 and 2.0 CD-RW Drive

Features:

• High-speed external CD-R/RW drive
• USB 2.0 for enhanced data transfer (USB 1.1 supported)
• Burn an 80-minute audio CD in under 4 minutes
• PC compatible
• Buffer under-run protection prevents useless "coaster" CDs

Accessories:
Targus PAUH212U 7 Port USB 2.0 Hub	Targus PAUH217U 4 Port Ultra Mini USB 2.0 Hub	Memorex 700MB/80-Minute 4x CD-RW Media (10-Pack with Slim Jewel Cases)	Maxell CDR Media 32x 650MB 74min (50-Pack Spindle)	Labtec GO-235 Earbuds For Music On The Go

Customer Reviews:

Not Very Durable [Posted on 2003-10-10]
I owned the Predator for just over a year. Within weeks of the warranty's expiration, it stopped working. Their online help advised me to try the unit on another PC. One computer I tried says there's no CD in the drive, even though the CD is spinning and the device is going through its motions; another computer spins the CD and seems to be writing data, but after 15 minutes of nothing happening, I gave up.

All in all, 13 months' service is not up to my expectations.

Cheap. cheap, cheap [Posted on 2003-10-20]
This is the worst product Iomega has ever released and they in fact have dis-continued it because it is so terrible. The entire housing is cheap plastic, the USB 2.0 integrity is marginal at best and the entire unit is entirely unreliable. This is a very bad product.

If you buy Iomega products: 50/50 chance you'll get a lemon. [Posted on 2004-02-21]
There's just no in-between, and this drive is no exception.

My drive will connect and be recognized by the computer, but it won't recognize any CDs that are put in, no matter what brand of CD. It doesn't matter what software you install, either - it's simply a hardware defect, and if you buy one of Iomega's cheap products, there's just about a 50/50 chance you'll get a broken one. If you're lucky, you'll get a unit that actually works fine.

Take it from a network admin who has had to use many, many Iomega products over the years (with about half being unusable) - don't buy this product unless you're a compulsive gambler and you just have to take every chance.

Frisbee [Posted on 2004-03-29]
It's a frisbee maker! I got maybe 2 or 3 sucessful burns out of it, but mostly I just ruined perfectly good cd-Rs.

Does a good job, even on USB 1.0 [Posted on 2004-04-25]
I am using an aging computer and my old CD writer broke. I bought this because it was compatable with USB 1.0 as well as good for when I get around to upgrading. The problem with this product is that the software is pretty weak compared to some of the better programs out there. Otherwise it is a good product with a good price.

Someone told me once that every CD writer will break within 2 years, if it gets regular use. So far it seems to be more or less true. If you're in the market for them, go with an external CD writer, and go with one that isn't TOO expensive. Besides, as with most technology these days, in a couple months there will be one way better for less money.

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