World Class: Best of 2003
The gear of the year: your complete guide to 50+ hardware, software, and service winners--including today's number one product.
PC World Editors
Places to Keep Your Data: More Winners
CD-RW Drive
LG Electronics GCC-4480B ($75): This fast 48X combo drive reads DVDs and burns CD-RW discs at 24X. Solid speed, an attractive price, and good support policies make this drive a winner.
Hard Drive
Western Digital Special Edition WD Caviar Series ($80-$350): The Special Edition of Western Digital's 7200-rpm WD Caviar series features a large 8MB buffer that helps speed data transfers. Drives are available in capacities ranging from 40GB to 250GB.
Rewritable DVD Drive
Sony DRU-500A ($330): Why worry about the DVD + or - RW wars when Sony's drive can handle both? We can't think of a reason. Competing multiformat drives are on the way, but for now the DRU-500A is your best bet.
Backup Software
Stomp BackUp MyPC (download $69, CD $79): Backing up your PC is usually about as much fun as doing your taxes or folding fitted sheets. Stomp's BackUp MyPC helps make this essential process bearable.
CD Mastering Software, DVD Mastering Software
Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 ($80): The winner in both our CD and DVD mastering categories uses a three-step process to simplify creating CDs and DVDs--though it comes at the expense of some high-end options.
