Paying a few dollars extra will let you rewrite and use discs more than once. A more expensive external model lets you share it with more than one computer. And spending just a few more dollars will get you a Backpack Bantam CD-rewriter that weighs a mere 20 ounces, is only half an inch tall and is perfect for your notebook computer. The Backpack Bantam can be connected to a desk-top PC through a parallel port but its compact size makes it perfect for a notebook user concerned about size and weight. It's easy to make room for it in your computer bag and it's so light you'll barely notice it's there. It connects to your notebook through the PC card slot or, if the card slot is already occupied, you can plug it into the parallel port. It writes and rewrites at a 4X speed and doubles as a regular CD drive with a 20X speed. Another great feature is its "Hot Pluggable" ability under Windows 95 or 98. Basically, you can plug it in at any time without having to shut down or reboot first. Plugging into the PC card slot or parallel port will immediately set up the drive and assign it a drive letter. Similarly, you can unplug it at any time without negatively affecting the system in any way. Unfortunately, the performance of an otherwise perfect product was marred by a problem during testing. Upon plugging in the drive for the first time, it delivered its promised speed and burned a CD in about 20 minutes. Inexplicably, the next time the drive was plugged in, an error message appeared and the drive was inoperable. Several reboots later, after uninstalling and re-installing the set-up software half a dozen times, there was still no progress. The troubleshooting section of the manual offered no reference to this particular error message. The solution, in the end, was to change some properties in Windows' Control Panel -- but this option was found only after surfing through Micro Solutions' Web site for half an hour. Getting to this answer was a taxing ordeal. A search page or index of error codes would be a valuable addition to the Web site. For those without Internet access, finding a solution would have required a phone call or fax to technical support. There is no toll-free number, so long distance charges would apply. Micro Solutions should consider providing lengthier documentation. There were no further problems, but this one begs a question. Why did the first CD burn successfully before the unit displayed an error message? A few technical glitches aside, the Backpack Bantam CD-rewriter is a valuable addition to any mobile computer user's travel bag. Its incredibly small and light package combines with fast performance and is a great choice if you're shopping for a CD burner. It is somewhat expensive when compared to the competition but the fact that you can use it with a desktop PC as well makes it worth the money. Reviewer's rating: 4.5 / 5 Comments: The Backpack Bantam CD-rewriter is great tool for the traveling notebook computer user. Testing uncovered a few technical problems and it is not the cheapest model, but its combination of portability and performance can't be beat. Specifications: Connects to a PC parallel port or PC card slot, writes CD-R and CD-RW. Write speeds: 1X, 2X, 4X. Rewrite speeds: 2X, 4X. Read speed: 20X. Weight: 20 ounces or 568g. Dimensions: 1"(h) x 6"(w) x 8 ""(l) or 2.54 cm x 15.25 cm x 21.59 cm. More info: http://www.micro-solutions.com Price: $975.99 US, $649.95 Canadian
|
Copyright © Cyberwalker Media Inc. 2002 |
|||||||||||||||||||
Adding RAM is easy, 