ASUS USB 2.0 Black External Slim CD/DVD Writer Model SDRW-08D2S-U

Pros: Does What It needs to do.

Cons: the top has this shiny checkered pattern to it, but nothing to make a fuse about.

Other Thoughts: Bought this for my new computer as I did not want a 5.25" bay taken up by one and this works just fine for any cds I will need to download from in the future.

Pros: -It's external and I can put it away when I don't need it.
-It's really small, easy to store.

Cons: -Not the fastest thing in the world, but it still reads discs at a reasonable rate.
-Two USB ports are need to power it, not really a con just a nuisance.

Pros: Incredibly small. Like, really small. You'd be able to fit this anywhere.

It's also fast. My wife and I have been using it and we haven't noticed any speed difference at all with a standard drive.

Finally, even though it comes with a secondary USB just for power, it runs just fine off of one port on my wife's ultra-tiny, $200 netbook.

Basically, this is everything you could possibly need or want in an external drive.

Cons: Nothing

Pros: Lightweight, Portable, Looks Very Sleek and sexy, Pretty Quiet, good price point.

Cons: Not as fast as a internal SATA DVD drive there is a noticeable diffrence.

Other Thoughts: Regardless of it being a tad slower, it gets the job done nonetheless. Also, it is very convenient to have on your desk, instead of having to reach down to your comp and what not. A great drive, for a good price.

Pros: The drive works properly when booted into a Windows XP, Vista, and 7 machine. I do not have any experience with this device on Windows 8 yet.

Cons: I am unable to use this device to boot CD/DVD's so I can reload operating systems on tablets/laptops without a functioning optical drive. This was my intended purpose all along and has failed miserably. I am very surprised as my older model from asus works flawlessly for this.

The Asus drive package software that comes bundled has a firmware update utility. However, this utility does not "automatically" connect and download the firmware as advertised. Rather brings me to support website and then I must manually input my model number. Now that I am at the download section for this optical drive the only available download is the Egreen utility. I am not seeing any firmware updates to resolve my issue at hand.

Lastly, my serial number is not even recognized on the Asus website.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

Please go to your computer’s BIOS and check if it sees this device. If not, configure it and then save your settings and try again. If necessary, you may either want to update the BIOS on this computer or test the optical drive to a different computer. Should you require further assistance, please email me at cl-celeste@asus.com and include ref#1072-10773 in the subject line.

Sincerely,
Celeste
ASUS Customer Loyalty

Pros: I absolutely love this drive! It's fast, works perfect on both my Windows 7 laptop and Windows 8 desktop. It has exceeded my expectations by far. Can't beat it for the price!

Cons: None!

Pros: it works. looks cool,

Cons: noisy

Other Thoughts: what else is there, it's a cd drive, it's portable, it's somthing till you have it you dont realize how much you really really like it. seriously though i dont need to buy a cd drive any more for any pc, just to use it once, because i have this thing.

Pros: + Works as advertised
+ Powered by USB; no external power adapter required.

Cons: - Textured design is sort of annoying
- Construction quality could be somewhat better (see other thoughts)

Other Thoughts: Purchased this item after removing the DVD drive in my laptop to accommodate an SSD. This item was only purchased for those rare occasions where I might need to burn a disc or read one that I did not already have an ISO of.

Item works quite well. The only burn failures I have had are likely attributable to poor recordable media quality. Device powers up quick and reads discs quickly and quietly. No complaints about overall functionality of this product.

The only complaints I have are related to the design and build quality of this product. I understand if ASUS is trying to brand themselves by making all of their products across the board follow a similar design scheme. I simply wish they had not chosen a design that made their products look like they were made out of materials found in the rubble of a torn-down Johnny Rockets. Seriously, I am so annoyed at the ugly design of this product that I almost did not buy one. Unfortunately for me, this was the only product at the time that met all of the other requirements I had in mind at the time (price, NOT installing some garbage software without my permission, positive reviews). The build quality, although what I suppose I would consider "good enough", is not quite up to par with what I expected for something that looked like it should have the durability of a 1950's kitchen made out of stainless steel. It does not feel flimsy, per se, but rather "rickety", like all the parts aren't quite secured together in a fashion that I would trust to be 100% portable.

To be fair, however, this product has resided in my crowded laptop backpack, which is full to the brim with computer tools, cables, CD books/cases, etc., for about a year now. This bag has been toted in and out of offices, server rooms, shoved under desks, dropped from a height of a couple of feet, tripped over, kicked, stepped on, etc. And the drive only shows signs of cosmetic wear. It does not appear to have become and more "rickety" or less functional.

In the end, I cannot help deduct an egg for an annoying design that probably resulted in the overall reduction in build quality that concerns me about its long-term life. Still a good product, I just think that ASUS has started putting too much emphasis on form, and this emphasis is detracting from the once-great function of their products. Hopefully ASUS doesn't turn into another Toshiba.

Pros: looks nice

Cons: does not work with windows 8. read a review that it would but it does not. tech support was zero help..need to return but at only 30 bucks not even worth the time.

Pros: Very nice compact external CD/DVD writer, at a great price.

Cons: Made of flimsy plastic. I don't expect the CD/DVD tray to last long.