Hewlett-Packard's SureStore CD-Writer Plus 7100

Emedia Professional, Jan, 1998 by Hugh Bennett

Hewlett-Packard's SureStore CD-Writer Plus 7100 resembles other CD-RW drives in that it writes CD-R discs and writes and rewrites CD-RW discs. However, the HP drive carries a new coat-of-arms as the first such device to bear the new MultiRead logo that guarantees its ability to also read CD-DA, CD-ROM, CD-R and CD-RW discs.

In another first, the CD-Writer 7100's well-rounded software bundle marks the appearance of Adaptec's DirectCD 2.0, the second-generation iteration of the packet writing tool designed to take CD-Rewritable to a new level with direct-overwrite capabilities not available in earlier versions of DirectCD or other packet tools like CeQuadrat's PacketCD and Smart Storage's FloppyCD. The newest version of PacketCD, which debuts in Yamaha's CRW4260t bundle, released shortly after the CD-Writer 7100, also features this capability.

The new 7100 package also finds Hewlett-Packard sticking to its roots in honoring longtime OEM relationships: the SureStore CD-Writer Plus 7100 uses Philips Electronics' first-generation CDD36 10 CD-Rewritable drive. The CD-Writer Plus offers 2X CD-R and CD-RW writing speed, up to 6X reading and Digital Audio Extraction performance, flash firmware, Running Optimum Power Calibration, Disc-At-Once, and packet writing capability. Disappointingly, it has a smallish 750KB buffer in comparison to the IMB size typical of its contemporaries. Unlike previous HP drives, the CD-Writer Plus is not a SCSI device, available only in external parallel and internal ATAPI interface models, and its use is limited to systems running Windows 95 and NT 4.0.

But most notable about the 7100 is its price and what you get for it. Listing at $499 for the internal 71 00i and $610 for the external 7100e, the HP package includes not only the drive but an ample software suite and a full set of accessories. Included are the drive, cabling, one blank CD-RW disc, installation instructions, and an eclectic mix of software. Beyond debuting DirectCD 2.0, the bundle features Adaptec's CD Copier for disc-to-disc copying, CD-RW Eraser for basic rewriting functions, and Easy CD Audio for audio CD creation.

What the package lacks is an all-purpose premastering tool like Adaptec's Easy CD Creator, so users will have to purchase such a product separately for more sophisticated applications. But the lack of higher-end capabilities makes sense since the 7100 is bundled for the consumer and small office market.

DIRECTCD BECOMES DIRECT O-W: VERSION 2.0 AND FILE-BY-FILE REWRITING

The most important feature of the CD-Writer Plus is that HP includes Adaptec's DirectCD 2.0, the software that overcomes the inflexibility that has limited CD-RW since it was introduced. Previous versions of DirectCD allowed incremental writing data to CD-RW discs, but when files were "deleted"--by eliminating reference to them from the disc's table of contents--they still occupied space on the disc When the disc became full, it had to be erased before it could be used over again. DirectCD 2.0 removes this limitation by supporting the direct overwrite (DOW) capabilities of CD-RW and the UDF file format to turn the technology from simply reusable to genuinely rewritable. Files can now be written to disc and deleted much like a floppy diskette.

Like all other rewritable storage media that do not come prepared from the factory for writing, CD-RW discs new out of the package must be formatted before they can be used. DirectCD simplifies the formatting process considerably, reducing its execution to a few prompts. Still, formatting remains a lengthy process that takes 50 to 60 minutes to complete.

After formatting is completed, the CD-RW disc is ready for use and appears to the PC with a drive-letter designated storage medium, so files can be dragged and dropped to it from Windows Explorer or saved in the familiar way from any application. Free space is also regained when files are dragged to the Recycle Bin. CD-RW discs also remain functional in the MS-DOS Prompt window, but not when the computer is restarted in MS-DOS mode.

For all its advantages, DOW is not without its downside, and flexibility and ease of use comes at a heavy price in lost capacity. Unfortunately, an unadvertised reality of gaining DOW capability is the fact that the formatting process reduces the usable storage capacity of a CD-RW disc from 650MB to roughly 493MB due to fixed packet overhead space set aside for management purposes.

The CD-Writer Plus also functions ably as a packet-enabled CD-R drive. Using DirectCD, regular CD-R discs appear like any other storage medium. The formatting process for CD-R takes approximately 15 seconds to complete and results in a disc with roughly 627MB of usable space.

Users in need of more advanced premastering functions than those afforded by the bundled software will need to purchase an additional product such as Adaptec's new Easy CD Creator Deluxe, which does include support for the CD-Writer Plus. Given HP's significant market share, most major recording packages should follow suit in adding support for the unit.