Asus CRW-5224A-U

If you fancy a CD-RW but are terrified at the thought of opening your PC or simply don't have enough room to fit an internal drive, Asus's new external drive could be just what you are looking for.

It comes with a stand so that the drive can be mounted on its side, taking up less of that precious desk space, and it connects to your PC or notebook via USB 2.

If you don't have USB 2 on your PC then you can still use the drive on a standard USB port. However, the slower speed of USB means that you won't enjoy the full 52x CD recording speed.

It only took a couple of minutes to get the Asus connected and ready to write CDs. Users of Windows Me or above get the best deal here, as drivers are already built into the operating system.

Windows 98 takes a little more work as a driver has to be installed from the provided CD.

Nevertheless, a copy of Ahead Nero Burning Rom is included, which will help you get the most out of your new purchase.

At £100 you can't knock this CD-RW. If you must go for an external drive, this is worth considering.

Contact: Landmarq 020 8768 9301
www.asus.com