Installing ASUS's new DVD writer in our test computer took only a couple of minutes. After taking the DRW-1608P2 out of the box, I 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. The only thing left to do was to go into Device Manager and make sure DMA was enabled. With a drive like the DRW-1608P2, enabling DMA is a must if you want to get the best reading and writing performance possible.
Software Installation:
As I mentioned earlier, the DRW-1608P2 comes with two CD's full of software. The first of these contains a few different applications from Nero and ASUS. If you have autorun enabled on your computer, the menu pictured below will automatically come up when you insert the disc.
By now most of you should be pretty familiar with this menu. From here you can choose to install Nero Express,NeroVision Express SE, Nero Media Player, InCD 4, the InCD Reader or ASUS DVD. Simply click the name of the application you want to install, and its setup program will start up automatically. Once you reboot, you'll be ready to start burning your own discs.
The second disc contains Ulead's DVD MovieFactory 4 suite. Like the other software, the installation process is fairly straightforward. All you need to do is choose what language you want and pick your installation options.By default the setup program will install the entire suite onto your computer. If you don't want to install the entire suite, select the custom installation. From here you can choose the components you want to install.
The Documentation:
The DRW-1608P2 doesn't offer much in the way of documentation. The closest thing to a manual is the drive's "Quick Installation Guide". This small, fold out guide is broken up into 20 different languages with each language getting about a page worth of instructions. While these instructions take the user step by step through the installation process, the small diagrams prevent them from being very useful. Also, if you're looking for things like the DRW-1608P2's specs or system requirements, you'll have to check the back of the box or visit ASUS's website. You won't find that information in the guide.
Like the other ASUS drives we've looked at, the DRW-1608P2 was very easy to install. There were no problems getting the drive or the software installed and working correctly. Nevertheless, I must admit that I was a little disappointed by the documentation. The brief instructions probably won't phase more experienced users. However, they might leave others in the dark. With this in mind, I give the installation a 7 out of a possible 10.
