Best Buy Special-50 pcs 4X-12X CD-RW for $19.99 after rebate

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jtr1962

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I bought these yesterday so I thought I would give everyone a heads up. They formatted error-free and so far seem to work pretty well with INCD in both my Lite-On drives(16X10X40X and 48X12X50X). These are the hard to find at a decent price 80 minute high-speed disks. Backing up before on the 2X CD-RWs was like pulling teeth. Here is the product description. Price is $29.99 and you mail in a $10 rebate. Sale ends at midnight Saturday. Price comes to about $0.55 per GB of storage.
 
The last CD-RW's I bought were ultra speed(16-24x) verbatims.. unfortunately they don't work on any of my high speed(10x) drives... so I can only use them on 1 of my burners... that was a dissapointment.

But thanks for showing me these, I was intersted in buying some high speed RW's for backups and test CDs.
 
Yep, CD-RWs are much more picky about speeds than CD-Rs. You can try to burn a CD-R at pretty much any speed you want regardless of its rated speed. Whether it works or not depends upon the disk and drive. CD-RWs, on the other hand, won't burn at anything other than their rated speeds. My 48X12X50X drive can't burn CD-RWs at a lower speed than 4X. Consequently, the 2X disks I had wouldn't work at all in that drive, at least in rewrite mode. These new disks will work on all my drives, including my old 4X4X24X drive(naturally at only 4X speed). For general all around compatibility, 4X-12X CD-RWs seem to be best. The mininum speed is slow enough that most old drives can burn them, and the maximum speed is fast enough since most drives capable of 24X rewrites can throttle down to 12X, or usually even slower.
 
jtr, I'd be curious to know which manufacturer TDK is using for those discs - could you please fire up nero infotool and find out, thanks.

I've been patiently waiting for the arrival of reliable 700MB CD-RW in either HS or Ultra format (perferably Ultra, after all, I would like to make use of my burners 24x capablity). Alas, there is none in N.A. (don't say Memorex has some, cause that stuff is just plain garbage). I been following this CD-Freaks thread to see if there are any new developments....in particular, looking forward to those Verbatims arriving (if they ever do! they've been available in EU for a while now, but no sign of them here).

It's quite sad that CD-RW media development is next to dead or lags far behind. Kind of makes me laugh to see the new 32x rewritable drives coming out. Good luck finding media for them - i.e. I suggest checking back a least a year from now.

Oh well, at least the 12x 700MB RW disc that came with the burner has turned out to be quite dutifull...and my 2-4x Verbatims keep chugging along, just begging to be retired from active duty.

CK
 
Here's the disk info:

Manufacturer : CMC Magnetics
Media code : 97m26s65f
Dye type : 5
Disc Type : CD-RW (8 X compatible)
Capacity : 79:59.74

I don't know why Nero only says 8X compatible. They do write just fine at 12X. Interestingly, my 2X CD-RWs are also by CMC Magnetics. They've turned out to be pretty reliable, although some disks that I've used continuously for two years have a few MB in bad sectors. Strangely, those disks will burn just fine using DAO or TAO. They just give errors when formatted and used with INCD.

BTW, INCD formats these TDK disks to 572 MB while my old 2X 74 min disks only formatted to 532 MB.

Oh, and thanks for the heads up about the Memorex media. I was hesitant about buying it anyway. I've been avoiding anything Memorex ever since I had problems with their VHS tapes about 10 years ago.

Anyway, I'm glad to have found these. Trying to find cheap 4x-12X 80 min CD-RW media is like searching for the holy grail. It's a shame that CD-RW development these days is almost an afterthought. I hope the situation gets better once DVD-RW is in common use.
 
:evil: Aghhhh! I just lost a post by closing the wrong window :evil:

CMC Magnetics - not looked upon too favourably by many, although many have no problems with them. I would tend avoid them and to just stick with the widely respected Verbatim DataLifePlus...(keyword: Plus). But then again, just look at the great results I'm getting from the Nan Ya Plastics disc that came bundled with my LiteOn (Nero infotool couldn't id the disk, but inputing the supplied atip info into the relevant section on this instant info page comes up with Nan Ya .... who incidently are a sister company to memory chip maker Nanya Technologies, and both are daughter companies of big conglumerate Formosa Plastics.

BTW, INCD formats these TDK disks to 572 MB while my old 2X 74 min disks only formatted to 532 MB
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That sounds right. This 2 page CDRinfo article gives the juicey technical details surrounding Mt.Rainier formating.

Oh, and thanks for the heads up about the Memorex media. I was hesitant about buying it anyway. I've been avoiding anything Memorex ever since I had problems with their VHS tapes about 10 years ago.
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Not all memorex media may be crap (I don't know, I don't bother with it cause most of it tends to be crap). I was speaking specifically about their 24x 700MB RW's (manufactured by Infodisc) that are readilbly available at Bestbuy etc. You can read about how terrible they are in this CDFreaks RW media thread....incidently, just follow the links in the original poster's signature to find threads on tests of other types of media.

Trying to find cheap 4x-12X 80 min CD-RW media is like searching for the holy grail.
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I think I said the same thing to FutureShock on SR about 6 months ago :D

It's a shame that CD-RW development these days is almost an afterthought
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Yep

I hope the situation gets better once DVD-RW is in common use
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Sadly, I doubt it ever will.

Cheers, CK
 
Merc, I agree with many of your points about CDRWs as outlined in this thread. However, I like using them for:

a) messing around with and perfecting a bootCD
b) testing/perfecting slipstreamed CD's etc
c) trying out linux distros
d) holding software that I'll want short term backup copies of
e) things I won't be keeping forever

More importantly,

f) I HATE the disposable razor mentality society has for so so many things. Its all so inefficent ... both economically* and environmentally.

* Of course you can obtain CD-Rs at something like 20 cents a pop, but thats not the point. RWs could probably be made available just as cheaply.....but that would, of course, cut into profits of plastic companies...what does cutting production at plastic companies do? why it cuts into oil company profits of course....

CK
 
CityK said:
f) I HATE the disposable razor mentality society has for so so many things. Its all so inefficent ... both economically* and environmentally.

* Of course you can obtain CD-Rs at something like 20 cents a pop, but thats not the point. RWs could probably be made available just as cheaply.....but that would, of course, cut into profits of plastic companies...what does cutting production at plastic companies do? why it cuts into oil company profits of course....
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That's one of the main reasons I use CD-RWs for backup. I like the idea of using them like a giant floppy rather than having to use Nero whenever I need to back up a few files. You just can't do that with CD-Rs. Sure, you can have multisession CDs, but for a few MB of data at a time this is more trouble than it's worth. Furthermore, it makes zero sense to backup on CD-Rs and then just throw away the old disks when you make new ones. I don't care how cheap the disks are or even if they're free. You're adding to an already horrendous landfill problem along with all the idiots using disposable razors, cameras, cell phones, prepacked meals(i.e. lunchables), etc. One of favorites is the new "crustables". These are frozen peanut butter sandwiches(with the bread crusts removed!), prepacked at a few dollars for four sandwiches(what a ripoff). What is the problem? People don't have the two minutes time it takes to make a sandwich any more? No wonder everyone's broke. Spending money on frivolous stupidity like this, or those obnoxious prepacked kiddie drinks, is the reason why. And anybody that claims not to have the miniscule amount of time saved by these overpackaged items should take a time-management course. To spend $3 extra to save 2 minutes doesn't make sense unless you're being paid(after taxes) $100/hour or more. In fact, it doesn't make sense at all since almost all the prepackaged foods are unhealthy, processed crap.

Over the long run disposable costs more both to the end user and to society at large. For example, I figured once that using disposable razors ends up costing over $100 a year once you include shaving cream. You can buy a Norelco for half that, and get new blades every year to 18 months for about $30. You save, and you avoid throwing maybe 150 razors a year into landfills, along with the shaving cream that ends up in sewage. A similar argument can be made against disposable cameras, alkaline batteries, light bulbs, and CD-Rs for non-permanent data.
 
I've got a Braun cordless shaver (the one that sits in it's own stand and cleans itself). It takes a cleaning solution cartridge (which lasts me about 2 months). Costs about $10 for a two pack. Made in Ireland and shipped all over the world. Olde Gillette never loses out on the $$$.

I'd still much rather spend $5 every two months rather than clean the thing myself tho, that is a waste of time.
 
Pradeep said:
I've got a Braun cordless shaver (the one that sits in it's own stand and cleans itself). It takes a cleaning solution cartridge (which lasts me about 2 months). Costs about $10 for a two pack. Made in Ireland and shipped all over the world. Olde Gillette never loses out on the $$$.

I'd still much rather spend $5 every two months rather than clean the thing myself tho, that is a waste of time.
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I have one of those Mach 3 razors. I change the blade every couple of months. Since I am so lazy I only shave every couply of days this way I will help to save the environment. I hate using electric razors, they don't get close enough for me.
 
I am so lazy I only shave every couply of days this way I will help to save the environment. I
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Isn't that the same exuse you used for flushing the toilet?



I have a mach3, but the blades are too expensive. I just use my old TrakII and change the blades when they start to get dull or gunky, whichever comes 1st.
 
I have a Norelco and change the heads every 6 months. I can tell a difference and since an electric doesn't cut as close anyway I think its worth it. I also have one of those gilette two blade jobbies. I buy maybe a five pack of heads a year. I save the close cut for special occasions.
 
jtr, you pretty much summed up my position.

blakerwry said:
I have a mach3, but the blades are too expensive.
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I tried the mach3 with a demo unit I recieved in the mail. On the wide open spaces of the face the mach3 provides a great clean close shave (at least the demo blade did), but I found its swivel head a little more difficult to work with around under the nose and on the chin, as opposed to a fixed headed razor....the price of mach3 blades are indeed pretty ridiculus.

Buck said:
Where do you think all of those AOL discs end up?
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I used to smash mine and throw them in the garbage, but have since stopped and now am holding on to all the useless CDs I get/have until I can find a place that recycles them.

Mercutio said:
Who throws away discs? I don't.
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Yes, but I'm pretty sure the great majority do.

CK
 
i usually don't burn things that I don't need later.. but sometimes I make mistakes on a boot CD and have to create a new one... or somtiems I make mistakes on a final compilation of something...

and over time, i find I have no need for some discs...

that is one of the reason I bought 2 USB thumb drives... to cut down on the use of CD-R for transfering small files between computers.
 
I use a Panasonic Sonic shaver for reasons related to ongoing mental illness.

I prefer a Mach 3. I used to change blades every 10 days or so. I can't actually grow a beard but I look awful if I don't shave daily.
 
The Norelco isn't as close as a blade, but with blades I got too much irritation to shave every day. At least with the electric my face doesn't look like a battlefield. Changing the blades on my Norelco once a year(if I lubricate them weekly) seems to work for me. My beard isn't that heavy anyway. In fact, I doubt I could grow anything resembling a beard even if I wanted to but three day stubble looks horrible on me so I shave practically every day.
 
Pradeep said:
I've got a Braun cordless shaver (the one that sits in it's own stand and cleans itself). It takes a cleaning solution cartridge (which lasts me about 2 months). Costs about $10 for a two pack. Made in Ireland and shipped all over the world. Olde Gillette never loses out on the $$$.

I'd still much rather spend $5 every two months rather than clean the thing myself tho, that is a waste of time.
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I just got one of these in June. I'm still on the first cleaning cartridge. It's a great electric. The battery lasts much longer than the Remington Microedge III it replaced. A description of the Brauns is here, although I don't see my model listed.

Do you clean it every day? I do every two or three days.
 
I don't mind. Since this thread's irrelevant now that the sale is over we might as well recycle it into a shaving thread. :mrgrn: And conserve electrons in the process. :wink:

Do your bit for the environment. Always recycle old threads rather than starting new ones.
 
Howell said:
BTW In case no one noticed, you can turn emoticons into links.
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Hmm, I wonder if any of Prof. Wizzard's emoticons were ever links to photos of him giving Coug the finger?
 
[quote="Fushigi
Do you clean it every day? I do every two or three days.[/quote]

I clean it everytime, I have the one with the LCD panel that tells me how many more minutes it'll be. One thing I found was that the solution tends to evaporate, by the time I replaced the first cart the liquid level was half of what it originally is. Some people make their own solution and refill them, but it's not worth the hassle to me.

It was pretty cheap at Amazon, when they had the $50 gift certificate for any Braun products over $130.
 
Pradeep said:
I clean it everytime, I have the one with the LCD panel that tells me how many more minutes it'll be. One thing I found was that the solution tends to evaporate, by the time I replaced the first cart the liquid level was half of what it originally is. Some people make their own solution and refill them, but it's not worth the hassle to me.

It was pretty cheap at Amazon, when they had the $50 gift certificate for any Braun products over $130.
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I don't have the LCD but cleaning is no big issue. Just push the thing down and walk away. I won't need the shaver for 12-24 hours anyway so if it takes 15 minutes or 4 hours it doesn't really matter.

The cleaning solution is alcohol with a little oil for lubricating the shaver heads. The alcohol will evaporate over time, not to mention whatever is consumed during the cleaning process. I've not actually opened it up so far to check the solution level; I figured I'd just wait for the light to come one. I wonder how much ground up beard is in the bottom of the cartridge...

Have you found any particluar store that has good prices on the cartridges? Sears carries them, as I remember when we bought the shaver (Shavers were on sale, my old Remington was getting weak, and I liked the self-cleaning idea). I think it was like $12 for the refill pack?
 
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