REVIEW: CD-ROM DRIVES : Spin Doctors

You may have read about the new jukebox CD-ROM drives, which let you juggle four or five discs at once, but the things can run darned slow. If your first concern is performance, a single-disc drive remains your best bet. Multimedia Word’s tests uncovered five performers.

GoldStar 6X (GCD-R56B)

GoldStar

$300

(201) 816-2000

* * * *

The GoldStar recorded and acceptable access time of 156 milliseconds. It set a speed record in a database search on a CD-ROM that contains nearly 75,000 magazine articles. The unit is well-built and easy to install. Buyers should bear in mind that it’s also a no-frills product that includes no illustrated documentation or extra utilities.

Toshiba XM 3701D

Toshiba

$395

(714) 457-0777

* * * * *

This unit provides an incremental boost over 6X drives by spinning its media 6.7 times faster than single-speed drives. Toshiba’s well-designed external model sprinted past all contenders, posting an unprecedented 130-millisecond access time. Its one-year warranty offers scant protection against failure, however.

Blaster 8X CD-ROM Kit

Creative Labs

$250

(800) 998-5227

* * * * 1/2

You get heady data throughput for video streaming, playback, animation and other applications with the 8X Blaster. Its data throughput rate of 1,127 kilobits per second on a 100-megahertz Pentium system is among the best of any drive on the market, though access time lagged at about 223-milliseconds. Creative Labs’ strong documentation and installation utilities are enhanced by solid service and support.

4PleX Plus PX-43CE

Plextor

$269

(800) 886-3935

* * * *

If you want a CD-ROM drive with lightning-quick response, look no further. The innovative 4PleX Plus spins its media at 4.5 times the rate of a single-drive. This speed demon came in with a competitive access time of 136 milliseconds. The internal unit has a two-year warranty.

6PleX PX-63CS

Plextor

$339

(800) 886-3935

* * * *

A trouble-free performer, the 6PleX posted a 152-millisecond access time and an 855-kilobit-per-second data transfer rate-- plenty of speed for any need, but not the fastest in the crowd.

Multimedia World is a monthly publication based in San Francisco that provides product reviews and testing for multimedia experts. Its World Wide Web page is at https://www.multimedia.com