Customer Reviews

Iomega 31119 Predator 4x4x6 External USB CD-RW Drive

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

Anyone demanding fast, error-free CD-RW performance should realize that USB-1 connections sadly do not permit this. The original USB was a slow-speed technology intended for simple devices such as keyboards, mice, and printers. CD-RW buyers are better off buying FireWire, serial or internal drives.

If you must buy a USB CD-RW drive and you have an older computer predating USB 2.0, then this drive is a good choice -- its included software is very good, the drive itself is solid, and setup is simple.

I bought my Predator because my computer at the time did not support devices requiring serial or SCSI ports, nor would it support additional internal drives. So USB was my only option.

There are some issues to be aware of:

1. The included Adaptec software was the best entry-level CD-burning software in 2001. At the time, Iomega did not skimp on the included software. The packaged software and drivers that I received were slightly dated even then, and not very Windows 2000-friendly, but the latest updates (including W2K support) were available online.

2. Something called "buffer underruns" are a risk for all old USB CD-RW drives because the slow USB had difficulty keeping pace with the high speed that CD-RW drives require to burn CDs smoothly. Because CD-writing requires reliable speed out of your computer (even if you're not in a hurry), I would not recommend using this drive with a slow computer, fragmented hard drive, or limited RAM.

3. While I was able to burn CDs at 4x, the slowness of the old USB again means that you may have the best luck holding back your drive speed to 2x so it doesn't get too far ahead of your computer. If you decide eventually to ditch USB and use FireWire instead, then you can ramp up the Predator to full speed with confidence.

4. I don't know why, but Verbatim CD-RW disks worked better with this drive than either the included Iomega disks or the new Imation disks that I bought. None of the disks became coasters, but for some reason the Iomega and Imation CDs would frequently suffer buffer underruns if I saved much data at one time. Maybe it was a coincidence. Anyhow, the remedy was to save less data on these CDs and to reformat them (eating up a lot of time) each time an underrun occurred.

5. This drive comes with an included FireWire adapter -- much more reliable than the old USB technology, if your computer supports FireWire connections.

The Predator fulfills basic needs for people limited to first-generation USB while also providing the power, speed and reliability in the coming era of FireWire peripherals.

But you would be wiser to buy a more current drive that supports USB 2.0 as well as slower connections.

This burner rocks. Very simple to set up and use, works perfectly with my Macintosh. I had the whole thing installed and was burning my first cd within 30 minutes. Yes, you will receive buffer underruns if you try to burn an audio cd at 4x - but I challenge you to find a USB burner where you don't - it's the nature of USB.

The USB interface is modular, so if you upgrade to a new computer with Firewire, or the forthcoming USB 2.0, simply buy a new module and the burner is ready to go with the new interface.

I highly recommend this burner, set-up was a snap, the included Toast software is very intuitive - and it looks FIERCE sitting on the desktop.

I have had this burner for 4 months or so. Mine works great also, but I find the modular plug flimsey, and I don't understand why it sits there and pulses the cd motor when closed and empty. I have to unplug the thing when it is not in use so that I don't have to listen to it whirring every 5 seconds. Also the electronic eject button is kind of bogus. You can't open the disk door when it is not plugged in, and I think that it is a weak link. Over all I am happy though. I anticipate that Iomega will correct these things with the next model. Wait if you can. Also, firewire would be nice, the burning process isn't slow, but it could always be faster!!

Let me preface this review with an explanation of what machines I'm using it with: first, Compaq Armada 3500 notebook running Win 98; and a self-built Athlon 550 mhz running Win98. System requirements were secure.

I bought this drive even after reading the mixed reviews because
1) I don't do much CD-R recording, and
2) I figured most negative reviews were the result of incorrect installation and/or use of the drive.

I was wrong.

First, if you're looking for drag-and-drop functionality with this, be prepared to lose 167 MB out of 650 or 700 MB to Adaptec's DirectCD formatting. I called Iomega about the ridiculousness of that, but they admitted that's the way it is, and, what's more, you only get 533 MB out of a disc, whether it's 700 MB or 650!

More lunacy followed when I tried an end-around DirectCD by using Adaptec's included EasyCD Creator as per Iomega's tech support prescription. I had to manually "end-task" DirectCD to get rid of it, after which EasyCD Creator *still* said DirectCD was interfering. After several more rounds of trying combinations and reboots, I gave up and just resigned myself to 533 MB per my PNY 700 MB discs.

Finally, be aware that the Predator is very finicky about other appliances using a secondary USB port while it's plugged in. I had to disconnect my Nomad Jukebox (which catalog I was trying to archive onto disc using the Predator), then reboot and hope the Iomega didn't freeze. When that happens, the drive becomes impervious to both software and hardware commands (e.g. the eject button), and crashes the system because of a disk error that Windows can't handle. Any files that DirectCD thought were still "open" *will* be lost. Hope you had back-ups.

The design looks good, I'll admit, but the USB version requires the use of a funky, clunky add-on unit which plugs into the back of the drive and to which you connect both the power and USB cables. The connection from this unit to the drive is tentative at best, and should not be moved lest you experience even more problems than you're already going to.

All in all, some got this drive to work, but remember: I didn't even bother with write-once CD-Rs. I hesitate to imagine buying hundreds of discs to replace the ruined ones. At least with CD-RWs I can try again. Good looks, bad drive. There are better choices. Choose wisely.

I bought the Predator a couple of weeks ago and did a lot of research on CD burners. I am very impressed with my choice.

The IOMega Predator is an excellent value for the price you are paying. I paid a lot more for this when I bought it 3 months earlier. Amazon has a very reasonable price on it and I think it's a very good buy with the rebate. It has a wonderful design. Im using it with my Gateway Solo 5300 laptop and I think it has a pretty decent speed when I use it to burn audio cds.

So far I have not even had one cd that has not burned right. Its swift, efficient, makes no sound when it's burning and looks like a sleek DiscMan. It connects to your PC through the USB port. So make sure your computer has a USB port before you get it. The speeds are 4X4X6. But I believe with a firewire it reacher faster speeds.

The good thing about getting an IOMega over the others is because IOMega is a good brand and they have excellent customer service. So at anytime if there's a problem you can call technical support and they'll walk you through solving the problem. I would recommend this over any other CD burner simple because it's small, compact, attractive and efficient....and now cheap....what more cud u ask for ???

You can burn CDs of your favorite music, video, photos,and and back up you data. The Iomega CD-RW Predator USB drive records, re-writes and reads up to 700MB of data or 80 minutes of audio. Drive speed is 4x4x6.

However before buying it would be a wise idea to check on its minimum requirements:

PC Users :

Pentium® 166 or higher with built-in USB controller (some USB controllers or motherboards may not support all types of USB devices) Microsoft® Windows® 98 / 98 SE / 2000 / Me Must meet recommended RAM requirements for your operating system (See your OS manual for details) CD-ROM drive or 740MB hard drive space to copy CDs CD-ROM drive (for software installation) Sound Blaster®-compatible sound card for audio playback Hard drive space for Adaptec® software (32MB), Iomega Quik Sync 2 software 30-day trial version (8MB), MusicMatch® Jukebox�EPlus (30MB), and Adobe® ActiveShare�E(40MB) Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 4.0 or higher required for Adaptec® software

Mac® Users

Power Macintosh® G4 or G3 (blue and white G3 only) or iMac�Ecomputer with built-in USB connection Mac OS 8.6, 9.0, 9.03, or 9.04 CD-ROM drive or 740MB hard drive space to copy CDs Hard drive space for Adaptec® software 14MB), MusicMatch® Jukebox�E30MB), and MGI PhotoSuite® software (54MB)

I read several horror stories about USB CD-RW devices, but decided to take the plunge anyway. The installation instructions were very easy to follow, and the device installed without any problems. The "how to use" instructions could use a little improvement: more scenarios for how to do common tasks for example. Overall I am very happy with the Predator.

I bought this thing several months back and it did nothing for me but make coasters. I'm not an inexperienced user of CD burners either. I tried everything in the book - defragged my HD, closed all applications, etc. Nothing worked.

If you want a burner that is 10 times better than this, get the new Plextor Plexwriter 24/10/40 USB burner. It supports both USB 2.0 (super fast!) and USB 1.1 and has the BURN-Proof technology which prevents the dreaded "buffer underrun" issue. Plus, Plextor is one of the best brands in CD burning technology. Retail for it is about 200 bucks...very reasonable considering this one isn't that much cheaper.

I was hesitant to buy this burner after some of the horror-story reviews I read at this site and others. But now I'm really glad I did. I had it out of the box and burning disks in less than ten minutes. I've used it with an iBook running OS 9.1 and burning with iTunes, and I've used it with a G3 266DT (upgraded with a USB PCI card) running OS 8.6 and burning with Toast. Not one error message, not one bad disk. It's not a speed demon (80-minute CD in 20 minutes), but for the price and solid performance I really couldn't care less. So if you have a Mac and you're considering buying this burner, take all the negative reviews with a grain of salt. I'm sure glad I did!

I have had this for about 2 weeks and was a little skeptical about buying it because of the mixed reviews I read and went for it anyway. My reaons for buying this were that, I am a university stundent, travel a lot, and needed a portable cd-rw to back up work and the like. As far as my hardware, I have a Toshiba laptop running on XP home edition, with a celeron 1.06mhz. and Easy cd creator 5.0 platinum.
I'l just cut to it and get to the bottom line. DO NOT LEAVE THIS CD-RW PLUGGED IN TO THE POWER SOURCE unless you are going to use it for burning. This contraption does not have a bulit fan, and ultimately since you are using an, "optical laser device" it gets very hot after use. Here is the key: when the power is not taken offline, the circuitry within the player tends to stay active and thus the player remains very hot which effects overall burning capability. If you leave it unplugged until use, you will find this hardware very handy.
Needless to say, it took a little bit of trial and error but in the end, patience paid off and this little cd-rw really does the job. It is not the fastest thing in the world but for a USB 1.1 it does the job splendidly.

I bought this burner for my new HP notebook, primarily for burning audio CDs. I found that using the "CD Copier" option was a better choice for that because using the burner to scan/read the orignal and then to burn the blank overheated it, causing more disc errors. The "CD Copier" uses the CD-ROM in your pc to read the orignal CD you're burning, and then uses the burner to burn the blank.

I tried upgrading the software that it came with (Easy CD Creator), but I found that it was more trouble than it was worth. It requires that you remove all previous editions of CD creator, which sometimes takes the Iomega's drivers with it. And when you try to re-install the drivers, it also re-installs the previous version of the software, which then requires you to remove the upgraded version that you just installed. grrr.

All in all, it's a pretty good burner. Just make sure that it's on a flat hard surface that's stable (a slight knock on it and it reports a disc error) and if you intend to use it heavily, give it breaks every so often to cool down (or else you get disc errors).