Don't use your cd-writer as a cd-rom drive myth

[Guest]

I have a HP 4*2*24, and I wanted to use it as my cd-rom drive also, so I don't have to buy a new cd-rom drive. But my friend tells me that I shouldn't do this, because the reader in a writer is much heavier than the one in a standard cd-rom drive, so a writer will get worn out much faster than a normal drive.

Is this argument viable?

 

[Arrow]

Every CDROM/RW drive has a limited number of "power on hours," that is, the amount of time it can spend reading/writing to a CD before failure, on average. The MTBF, or mean time between failures, specifies this number of Power On Hours.
So if you use your CDRW to just read CDs, you are in essence taking away from its life.

Rob
Please visit <b><A HREF="http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048" target="_new">http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048</A></b>

 

[AMD_Man]

True Arrow but all drives and computer components have MTBFs so that doesn't just apply for CD-RWs.

AMD technology + Intel technology = Intel/AMD Pentathlon IV; the <b>ULTIMATE</b> PC processor

 

[DaveGOD]

uh but a cdrw more expensive to replace than a CDROM... my GUESS is its a case of if you have an extra CDROM, use that, if not, might as well just use the CDRW....

"Bring out the dead..."
"I'm not dead yet!"
"Yes you are!"

 

[Ncogneto]

Typically however cd-r's have a much longer seek time than there cd-rom counterparts.

Another Cookie? Who is going to pay my dentist bill?

 

[forgettythatty]

its called bypassing the securom protection. but you can use the newest clone to do this at www.elby.org (if you live in the US or great britain change the amplifyweak thing in the registry from 0 to 1.), or you can mount an image with www.daemon-tools.com or just try the emulation

"the reader in a writer is much heavier than the one in a standard cd-rom drive, so a writer will get worn out much faster than a normal drive." Just ignore that. that is not why the rumor got started.

 

[upec]

I use my CDRW as CDROM drive. They are usually out dated before they broke.

 

[scamtrOn]

exactly. outdated before broke.

 

[Arrow]

I agree. For most users, that's the case.

Rob
Please visit <b><A HREF="http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048" target="_new">http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048</A></b>

 

[flamethrower205]

Problem is, I can't stand anything under 50x, so I use something else than my cdrw which reads at 32x.

NOS and a <font color=red> Ferrari </font color=red> can be fun!

 

[Arrow]

For "everyday" tasks, I don't think you'd notice the difference between a 32x and 50x. Besides, they usually don't read at max speed.

Rob
Please visit <b><A HREF="http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048" target="_new">http://www.ncix.com/canada/index.cfm?affiliateid=319048</A></b>