The merits of two DVD-ROM/DVD+/-RW drives

[astrodonkey]

Hello all,

I've seen comments before to the effect that it is advantageous to have a dedicated DVD-ROM drive in addition to a separate DVD burner. Apparently the reasoning is that you don't want to burn out the motor on the more expensive DVD burner, and just use the DVD-ROM drive for ripping or copying DVDs.

With the price of DVD-ROM drives so cheap this isn't a big problem, but is this really a common mentality? The trouble is, I'd like to be able to burn CDs too, so the first thing that comes to mind is a combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, which I presume is more expensive than the straight DVD-ROM. I already have a CD-RW drive (but no DVD-ROM), but I really don't want three separate drives hogging my case, when in reality the drive I'm looking at buying (Sony DRU-500A) supports DVD reading, writing, and CD burning all in one.

Can I have some opinions on this? What sort of setups do the rest of you folks have?

Thanks in advance.

[cfitz]

This is just my personal opinion, but I say if you want to live with just one drive then go for it. If (and there is a chance I am being overly optimistic here) DVD burners progress like CD burners did, you will be buying a replacement for your Sony in a year and half not because it has failed, but because there are new drives that are faster, cheaper and generally much better overall than the current state-of-the-art Sony. Of course, this depends somewhat on how heavily you plan on using the drive.

So, how heavily do you intend to use the drive?

cfitz

[dodecahedron]

also depends on WHAT you want to do with your drives.
if you'll be doing a lot of CD burning but little of DVD reading, then stick with the CD-RW drive. if you'll be reading the DVDs a lot but only rarely burning CDRWs, get a DVD-ROM drive (to read both CDs and DVDs) and use the DVD burner to burn CDs too.

BTW, you are correct about combo CDRW/DVD drives being (relatively) more expensive than CDRW drives.

[glock20rocks]

TCComputers.com has the new Samsung 32x12x40x12 combo for $89, which isn't too bad.