Installing AOpen's new DVD writer in our test computer took only a couple of minutes. I took the DSW1812P out of the box, left the jumper set to master and installed it on the secondary IDE chain by connecting the IDE cable and power connector. When I turned on the computer the BIOS detected it as a drive supporting UDMA 66. After making sure that the DMA was enabled in the Device Manager, I was ready to start installing the software.
Software Installation:
As I mentioned earlier, the DSW1812P comes with a CD full of software from Nero. If you have autorun enabled on your computer, the menu pictured below will automatically come up when you insert the disc.
As you can see, this menu is pretty straight forward. To install the writing software, you will want to choose the "Install Nero Essentials" option. After that, you will be taken to the Nero installation menu.
By default the setup program will install the entire Nero 7 Essentials suite onto your computer. If you don't want to install everything, select the custom installation. From here you can choose the components you want. Once you reboot, you'll be ready to start burning your own discs.
The Documentation:
Most of the DSW1812P's documentation is located on the software CD in electronic format. While relatively brief, the user's manual covers a number of topics. It starts out by getting the user familiarized with their new DVD writer. The first section goes over the drive'ssupported formats, recording modes, and system requirements. The manual also spends a few pages going over the locations and the functions of the buttons and connectors located on the front and back of the drive.
From here, the manual jumps right into the physical installation of the DSW1812P. This section covers everything from setting the jumpers to hooking up the cables and mounting the drive in your computer. While the instructions are short, the diagrams AOpen has provided are pretty good. If you're not sure about how to configure your computer, the manual also has a few examples along with the corresponding jumper settings. Last but not least, the manual finishes up with a few short sections on how to operate the DSW1812P and troubleshoot any problems that might arise.
AOpen's new DVD writer also comes with a "Quick Start Guide." This fold out guide takes the user step by step through the installation process. While a little short on words, there are plenty of diagrams showing what to do. For most people, the "Quick Start Guide" will be all they'll need to get the DSW1812P up and running.
In the end, installing the DSW1812P was very easy. I had no problems getting the drive or the software installed and working. If you do run into trouble, the documentation AOpen has provided is more than sufficient. However, I would have liked to have seen a little more drive specific information. Even then, the installation gets an 8 out of a possible 10.
