Pioneer Debuts Ultra-Slim DVR-XD09 DVD Writer For Netbooks

It's a problem faced by far too many netbook buyers these days: what do you do when you need access to an optical disc? The vast majority of 8", 9" and 10" netbooks arrive today without an optical drive to speak of. Just a few years back, it was practically unheard of to see a notebook sans a DVD drive; today, it's almost a given if the machine is around 13" or smaller. In order to give those who still spin the platters a chance to beef up their recent netbook purchase, Pioneer is introducing the industry's "most compact" portable DVD/CD writer to date.

The DVR-XD09 is an ultra-slim, ultra-lightweight device that weighs just 8 oz. and has an overall size that is slightly larger than a music CD case. Even better, it connects and gets power over USB 2.0, so there's no need to worry over a burdensome and easy to lose AC adapter. The drive supports discs as large as 8.5GB via its dual layer DVD-R support, and it should slip into most briefcases with ease at just 5.24" x .58" x 5.24". The drive is actually quite speedy for a portable, with an 8x max DVD writer speed and a 24x max CD write speed; it will be available next month for $79.99.