CD Writer for Parallel Ports

Rainer Mauth

Freecom's F-PCDR-2 is an external CD recorder that plugs into the parallel port of Windows 95, Windows 3.1, or DOS PCs and works reliably -- at least if your PC's parallel port is fast enough. The package includes Gear, CD-recording software from Electroson (Eindhoven, The Netherlands) that supports standard CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, and CD Audio formats as well as mixed audio and data and multisession recording. This multilanguage software (English, French, German, and Spanish) simulates a trial run before the actual burning process, so that you can check transmission times and format compatibility on the target CD.

The F-PCDR-2 supports 1X (minimal transmission rate of 150 Kbps) and 2X (300 Kbps) recording speeds and 4X read sessions. It works reliab ly if your PC features a high-speed parallel port or you record your CDs with 1X speeds. I tested the device on my P60 machine (16 MB of RAM) and on a state-of-the-art P200 multimedia PC (32 MB of RAM). The parallel ports of both machines featured an EPP configuration that the manufacturer set s as a minimum requirement for proper work. However, the 2X recording speeds worked only on the P200 multimedia PC. My tests revealed actual transmission times of about 170 Kbps (1X) and 340 Kbps (2X), respectively.

If your PC doesn't include a SCSI adapter, or if you use a mobile computer, the F-PCDR-2 opens a way to write CDs. Users of SCSI systems may prefer Freecom's dual-port (SCSI and parallel) CD writer, the F-DCDR-2, because it provides both options: higher-speed transmissions and parallel-port connectivity.

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Where to Find

F-PCDR-2......................DM 1380

Freecom Computer
Berlin
, Germany
Phone:    +49 30 611 2990
Circle 1039 on Inquiry Card.

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CD Writer

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