Best external DVD drives for netbooks

I noticed many of you are asking for netbooks with internal DVD drives. However, this feature is one of the few netbooks lack. Because of their small size, there’s simply not enough space to put a CD or DVD unit inside.

But, don’t worry, there’s a solution: you can buy an external drive that you will connect to your netbook via USB, when needed. They are pretty slim and very light, but are not so cheap, especially the high quality ones produced by big brands like Samsung or Lacie. And also, the offer is not big at all, as you can hardly find 10 good alternatives for such devices on the market right now.

Still, in the following lines, I’ll tell you a couple of things about the ones i consider the best 3 external DVD drives. I chose them based on specs and reviews received from buyers, cause i for one never had the chance to use such devices, as i don’t even use CDs and DVDs anymore, at least not on my computers.

Lacie Slim portable Drive – $79.99

Lacie - brown stylish drive

The French guys from Lacie are quite known for their external peripherals that provide great looks and performances . That’s also the case for this Slim portable Drive Lacie offers for netbook owners.

It comes with a dark brown glossy finish and has a 1 inch width . It’s a standard DVD+-RW unit with LightScribe and connects to your netbook via an USB cable. You don’t need an extra power cable, as the same USB one is used to power the device. As for compatibility, this drive works with any computer equipped with an USB port and Windows/Linux OS .

The price is also pretty good, especially if you consider that you can get it from here, via Amazon, for just $79.99, while the regular price in offline stores is almost twice as big (around $140). Of course, besides the Lacie drive and the connecting cables, you will get a nice software bundle specially made for this device.

Asus external optical drive – $51.99

Asus - the vertical unit

Since Asus is the most important player on the netbooks’ market, it’s normal they also offer branded accessories for such devices. That’s why you should not be surprised an Asus external optical drive is present in this list.

It’s in fact a pretty good looking unit that comes in black and white, both glossy of course as Asus already used us . Unlike the other drives in the list, this ones also comes with an attachable foot that allows you to position the device vertically, like in the picture.

In terms of features, the Asus DVD is a standard writer without the LightScribe function, that connects to a computer via an USB cable. Asus brings the Turbo Engine feature that is supposed to increase the performance and the steadiness of the connection between the PC and the external drive.

As for prices, you can get the black glossy version for $51.99 , while the white glossy one costs just 2 bucks more. The pack contains of course a software bundle with Cyberlink .

Samsung portable unit – $54.99

Samsung brings perhaps the best choice

Samsung offers one of the most popular external slim DVD drive. It looks good, comes with a glossy or matte finish in 3 different colors and has an affordable price tag.

Like the ones above, this Samsung drives is powered through USB and connects to netbooks through the same cable. But, it also comes with Tray Loading Drive , so you can easily access the disc inside even when the unit is not powered or connected to a computer.

It is of course compatible with Linux/Windows machines, but unlike the Lacie and Asus drives above, it can also be used with a Mac. And it’s slimmer then the Lacie, with a width of just 0.8 inches .

In terms of prices, they vary between $54.99 for the glossy black version and $64.99 for the white, with the blue ones coming between. And the software bundle also includes Nero, alongside other programs.

Conclusion

In the end, if i were to choose from the ones above, i believe I’d go for the Samsung. Although the Lacie and the Asus are better looking, the last one is the most affordable in terms of price and comes with just the features i would need. Yes, the Lacie also brings Lightscribe and the Asus drive brings stuff like the ASUS Turbo Engine , but i see no reason to pay extra for these.

Anyway, I’m just curios what would you guys choose: one of these or perhaps a better one i just missed and should have been here in this list. Just leave your opinions regarding external DVD drives for netbooks in the comments form bellow.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Tags: Asus netbooks, DVD, netbook accessories, USB accessories

Last updated: September 27, 2011 | Published: March 22nd, 2010 | See the comments or add yours!