Hewlett Packard CD-Writer C4504A 8220e 4x4x6 External USB Kit
See it at Amazon.com for $187.00Average Customer Rating
(2.5 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
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(1 out of 5)compatibility nightmare
i purchased this product to work with my dell latitude laptop which has windows 2000 loaded on it. i could not get the unit installed correctly - it just didn't work. finally after a half a day talking with hp customer service, i was informed that there was a compatibility problem with this unit and windows 2000. they are writing a fix for it, which should be done in 2 months.
they also said that there was a compatibility issue with dell latitude laptops.
i guess this was not my lucky day for buying. returned the hp and am buying another brand.
(4 out of 5)Very Good For people who want a really portable CD Writer
Though the 8220e External USB is not a very fast writer compared to famous yamaha etc but one thing is very nice that it is really a true portable USB Writer .I can use it in my office in any computer as I can plug it externally . So you dont have to face difficulty to install SCSI( SCSI installation is a nightmare ) or a IDE writer . Just plug it in the USB port and the WIN 98 ( Alert it does not support WIN 95 or NT ) do the rest . I really recommend it for people who dont like the installation hassle rather like a simple portable drive. I bought it for SONY VAIO PCG-F801 Laptop ( WIN-98 ) and it worked fine . I am happy with its performance . Only negative point I found is that it does not support WIN95 or WIN NT or Mac . I have a iMac but I cant use it . I think HP should come out with a Mac driver . So buy it if you have a USB PORT + WIN-98 and if you like a true portable drive .
(4 out of 5)Burner works fine, Software has bugs
After reading the mixed reviews on the HP CD Writer 8220e, I decided to try it. I did not plan on using this machine a whole lot, just to burn a few CDs every now and then, so I wasn't looking for anything top of the line. And this CD Writer is definitely not that.
I was able to burn a couple data CDs successfully but when I tried to burn a music CD, I kept getting an error after the process finished, telling me the CD couldn't be written for some odd reason. I tried a CD from a different manufacturer - same result. Not only did it not work, that CD could not be used again. After wasting 5 CDs, I finally figured out that the problem is with the HP MyCD software. After adding the files to your layout, the software will tell you that you have extra time left, but then the CD-R will run out of space (without telling you). At this point, the software doesn't know what to do, so it ejects your CD, and you can't use it again. Not only that, there is no way to save your layout, so you have to design it all over again.
The best thing to do is leave at least 3 minutes of time available after adding files to your layout. Once I did this, the problem was resolved. Or you could spend $90 and get the Adaptec Easy CD Creator software, which is much more user-friendly and has fewer bugs.
(1 out of 5)Extremely Poor and Frustrating
If your looking for a good reliable CDRW, look else where. Installation was simple, the software interface was simple, but performance is absolutely horrible. Even at the slowest writing speed 1X, this CDRW failed to write a CD without an underrun error or giving me an error message stating a dirty disc when the discs that I was using were sealed and from HP. My end result, 7 HP coasters and 1 successful burn. 1 out of 7 succeeded and that is unacceptable for any burner. Concerning the 8220's re-write ability, everytime I attempeted to re-write the disc, it errored resulting in not one sussessful re-write.I contacted CS to no avail. I tried a new driver, no improvement. There was nothing else running, only the CDRW. I installed it on another computer and again the same result, adding two new coasters to my collection. I ended up returning it extremely frustrated. You also might want to stay away from the HP 8230 since they are virtually identical excluding the upgraded software. My advice go with an internal and buy a 12x/10x/36x CDRW from TDK or Plextor (they share most of their parts and both have BURN-PROOF technology). I purchased the TDK VeloCD for . . . Since I purchased my TDK VeloCD I have been 30 for 30 writing at 12X and all recordingshave been bit for bit perfect. Good Luck if you still buy the HP, your going to need it.
(1 out of 5)HP Consumer Product is Terrible - Please go other choices
I got this 8200e two week ago. last weekend I was trying to install it onto my Dell Dimension desktop and hoping to duplicate a few data CDs. Installation was fast and simple. Then I followed every step in their on-line help menu to ensure my system is ready before the burning action. ( mine is a PII , with 128M RAM, and 4G free disk space ). In order to make the system stable, I shut down every possible program even including the Anti-virus real time monitor. and set the write speed to only 2x. Then the angry part starts. Everytime, in the middle of the burning ( writting ), the HP myCD software pops "error writting, change a new CD-R and try again ". I tried 4 CD-R , even including the HP one that included in the package, never able to complete once. There is not so much information provided, so I still can not trace down the problem. 4 CD-R gone, ( 3 SONY, 1 HP), and now still no clue about what is going on.
I have another comment, which is about the software packages included.and the way this 8200e package is designed.HP pre-bundled 3 software, with each has some duplicated functions, and from different vendors. that is making a consumer's life very difficult. people buy this for burning CD, why making life so difficult? Obviously, the mentality is "we are hardware company, those just for your try, if the machine can function, the rest is not our problem."
However, the key point of a CD writer is to copy and write CD. Being an once-a-time HP employee, I really feel so bad about the way now they design product. NO HEART. So obvious they never bother to think from a customer's view point. Just because a lot of vendor have it, so HP also can package something ( this is not manufactured by HP at all ), label it and make some revenue out of it. NO HEART.
because it wasted 4 CD-R, and still can not function, and the software that supposed to make it function is so confusing, I gave it the lowest score. the worse thing is, HP products are usually more expensive then other OEM brands. But in this case, the extra quality is totally not there. The product is designed without heart and commitment to customer. You will definately be disappointed. I must say, keep away from HP brand, they are no longer what the two letter meant for.