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Hewlett-Packard's SureStore CD-Writer Plus 7100 resembles other CD-RW drives in that it writes CD-R discs and writes and rewrites CD-RW discs. However, the HP drive carries a new coat-of-arms as the first such device to bear the new MultiRead logo that guarantees its ability to also read CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW discs.
In another first, the CD-Writer 7100's wellrounded software bundle marks the appearance of Adaptec's DirectCD 2.0, the second-generation iteration of the packet writing tool designed to take CD-Rewritable to a new level with directoverwrite capabilities not available in earlier versions of DirectCD or other packet tools like CeQuadrat's PacketCD and Smart Storage's FloppyCD. The newest version of PacketCD, which debuts in Yamaha's CRW4260t bundle, released shortly after the CD-Writer 7100, also features this capability.
The new 7100 package also finds HewlettPackard sticking to its roots in honoring longtime OEM relationships: the SureStore CD-Writer Plus 7100 uses Philips Electronics' first-generation CDD36 10 CD-Rewritable drive. The CD-Writer Plus offers 2X CD-R and CD-RW writing speed, up to 6X reading and Digital Audio Extraction performance, flash firmware, Running Optimum Power Calibration, Disc-At-Once, and packet writing capability. Disappointingly, it has a smallish 750KB buffer in comparison to the 1 MB size typical of its contemporaries. Unlike previous HP drives, the CD-Writer Plus is not a SCSI device, available only in external parallel and internal ATAPI interface models, and its use is limited to systems running Windows 95 and NT 4.0.
But most notable about the 7100 is its price and what you get for it. Listing at $499 for the internal 71 00i and $610 for the external 71 00e, the HP package includes not only the drive but an ample software suite and a full set of accessories. Included are the drive, cabling, one blank CD-RW disc, installation instructions, and an eclectic mix of software. Beyond debuting DirectCD 2.0, the bundle features Adaptec's CD Copier for disc-to-disc copying, CD-RW Eraser for basic rewriting functions, and Easy CD Audio for audio CD creation.
What the package lacks is an all-purpose premastering tool like Adaptec's Easy CD Creator, so users will have to purchase such a product separately for more sophisticated applications. But the lack of higher-end capabilities makes sense since the 7100 is bundled for the...