Samsung's SE-S084D External Optical Drive Redefines Slim

A bunch of new netbooks launched at this year's International ConsumerElectronics Show, but you'll still have to select an ultraportable (orlarger) if you want a machine with an integrated optical drive. Still,Intel's new Atom N450 is likely to move quite a few more netbooks inearly 2010, particularly amongst those who were waiting for the agedAtom N270 to be replaced. Optical drives aren't always needed, but whenyou do need one, you need one in the worst way.

Samsung seems to understand this better than anyone, this weekintroducing a prototype of its new slim external DVD writer, theSE-S084D optical disk drive (ODD). It was designed to be slimmer,smaller and more compact than any rivaling product, and it also uses asingle USB port for power and data in order to eliminate the need foran external power brick. The drive features a metallic centerline andhas claimed the iF Product Award Design; specifically, it's 20% smallerthan conventional DVD writers and 25% lighter than Samsung’sconventional DVD writer. It was built to work within Windows 7 and evenOS X, and it can provide a variety of speeds across varying mediatypes: 24X CD-ROM, 24X CD-RW, 8X DVD±R recording, 5X DVD-RAM recording,8X DVD+R Dual Layer recording, 6X DVD-R Dual Layer recording, 8X DVD+RWrecording and 6X DVD-RW recording.

It will be released globally in Q2 of this year, but a price remains unknown.

“Because netbooks are designed for ultra mobility, they aren’t typically equipped with optical disc drives, which can potentially make booting from a CD or playing a DVD movie a problem,” said John Suh, director of OMS sales and marketing, Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. “But with the lightweight, portable SE-S084D Optical Disc Drive, you have the perfect on-the-go, stand-alone. And thanks to its USB BUS power source, you can write at maximum speed with no outlet in sight.”