| ||
|
I nearly destroyed the shipping carton in my eagerness to open Kenwood's $130 52X TrueX CD-ROM drive. I couldn't wait to check out its new TrueX multibeam technology, 2MB onboard buffer (to further rev data output), and 52X speed.
Several passes with Testa Labs' CD Tach benchmark software, using Windows' "Quad speed or higher" buffer settings, did nothing to dampen my enthusiasm: The Kenwood's 47X test rating was, in a word, smokin'.
The TrueX multibeam technology Kenwood has licensed from Zen Research is supposed to speed throughput by reading seven tracks at a time. But what works in benchmark testing often doesn't translate to improvements in real-world CD-ROM drive performance.
That was borne out when I compared the Kenwood with a 32X Toshiba CD-ROM drive. I used each drive to fully install Microsoft Office 97 and found no appreciable difference in their performance reading and loading data on the Microsoft installation disc. The shipping Kenwood drive also appeared no faster than the Toshiba when reading any of the ten other discs I tried.
On the positive side, the Kenwood 52X TrueX is ruggedly built and will probably hold up far beyond its one-year warranty.
There may be practical business uses where TrueX technology produces better results. Until I find them, I remain unconvinced that it can sustain its claims in the real world.
Would you recommend this story? YES NO
- Recommend:
- 0 Comments
-
Speed Up Everything!
PCWorld shows you the secrets to improve performance on all your hardware.
-
Become an Android authority
Play music or games, run productivity apps and essential utilities.
-
IdeaPad U300s If there's a laptop that deserves the moniker "Ultrabook" it's the Lenovo IdeaPad U300s.
Buy now direct from Lenovo -
ThinkPad X220 Fast and light, with great input ergonomics and battery life, this powerhouse ultraportable is best-of-breed.
Buy now direct from Lenovo -
ThinkPad T420 Just about every IT person we know swears by the T series--for their clients and themselves.
Buy now direct from Lenovo
- 12 Criteria for Selecting the Best ERP System Replacement An ERP system is your information backbone and reaches into all areas of your business and value chain. Replacing it can open unlimited business opportunities. This white paper explains the 12 criteria that allow you to identify and select the solution that will meet these expectations.
- Leveraging Social Computing Technologies for ERP Applications This white paper details how Web 2.0 technologies support business strategies by improving efficiency, productivity, and collaboration.
-
NASA Google Map Shows Path of Solar Eclipse
-
iTunes Syncing Made Easy
-
Ditch iTunes: Manage Multimedia on the iPhone Your Way
-
Netflix Launches Snazzy New In-Browser Video PLayer
-
Netflix Customer Satisfaction Rebounds
-
Photoshop CS6 dazzles with technical prowess and artistic inspiration
-
Adobe Preps Silent Flash Updates for Macs
-
Adobe Creative Suite 6 Goes on Sale
-
Emergency Patches Pushed for Flash, PHP
-
Free rtpMIDI Lets You Play Beautiful Music With Your iDevice and PC
-
The Best Free Software, Mobile Apps, and Web Services, 2012 Edition
-
The 12 Best Free Entertainment Services and Apps of 2012
Ad Choices