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From
TNPC issue #3.12...
Windows 2000 3rd Party Utilities (CD-RW): Part 3
by Al Gordon
June 8, 2000
Some weeks ago, I wrote favorably about Adaptec's Easy CD Creator
4.02, which is now Windows 2000 capable. Several readers objected
to the recommendation, citing Easy CD's penchant for making
coasters. I still like the software, as it has an excellent set
of features and a user-friendly interface. But I concede the
point on coasters: one uses Easy CD at one's peril if one does
not shut off all other background functions, especially anti-
virus software and screensavers. You don't want to be
multitasking while running this Adaptec product.
Accordingly, I have tested some alternatives, and look favorably
upon Ahead Software's Nero 5 from Germany.
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/312/tr.cgi?al1
It's $69 plus $9 shipping if you want a disk and manuals; $49 if
you download it. I deliberately subjected it to a torture test,
having it burn a CD while numerous functions were running on my
computer. Nero went ahead and did the job, compensating for the
other program's competition for system resources. The job took
more time, understandably, but the end product was a working
disk. Version 5 now fully supports Windows 2000.
Nero's interface is straightforward, although slightly more
complicated than Easy CD. The only limitation of any consequence
is that, while Nero does have software for printing CD labels and
covers, you have to manually set the printing dimensions whereas
Adaptec provides templates for popular label packages. (You also
get tested in metric conversion, as Nero's dimensions are in
millimeters.)
Another contender is CDRWIN from Golden Hawk Technology in New
Hampshire.
http://www.TheNakedPC.com/t/312/tr.cgi?al2
CDRWIN offers CD burner diehards a wide range of user settings
for recording or creating image files, allowing nearly full
control over the burning process. It's not the easiest interface
in the world, though, and it does not support CDDB Internet
retrieval of music CD track information.
More problematic, Golden Hawk neither supplies nor supports ASPI
layer software (the software that your system uses to communicate
with the CD burner), deferring to Adaptec's package. If something
is amiss on your system, you are out of luck. For me, the
software ran on Windows 98 but ran into problems with the ASPI
layer in Windows 2000, simply would not run, and tech support
declined to do anything other than refer me to third-party Web
pages. [Listen up guys: the fix is, you put a copy of
wnaspi32.dll in the WINCDR folder.]
You can reach Al Gordon at:
mailto:algordon@TheNakedPC.com
Copyright © 2000, PRIME Consulting Group, Inc. and Dan Butler.
All Rights Reserved.
The Naked PC is a trademark of PRIME Consulting Group, Inc.
ISSN: 1522-4422
You may reprint an article from TNPC as long as you show the
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Windows 2000 3rd Party Utilities (CD-RW): Part 3
by Al Gordon
(This article originally appeared in The Naked PC
newsletter #3.12, subscribe at http://www.TheNakedPC.com)
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