Computer Help Blog

A CD-rewritable drive, or CD-RW as it is commonly known as, is an optical storage device that can both read and write compact discs. CD-RW technology first came into use in the early 1990s. By the year 2000, CD-RW drives became a common hardware component of personal computers and laptops. However, their use has decreased in the recent years due to better technologies like the DVD-RW and USB drives.

CD-RW drives can be used to “burn” data, music and video CDs. They need a special program to do it unlike floppies on which data can be directly copied and pasted. CD-RW drives make use of red-color laser which writes the data in the form of bits and bytes, directly into the compact disc surface. Both CD-R and CD-RW discs can be burned by using CD-RW drives. The difference between these discs is that the former can be burned only once, which the later multiple times. With proper use and handling, a CD-RW disc can be reused a few thousand times. However, in actual practice they become unusable very soon.

The CD-RW was first introduced into the market in the year 1997. New technological advances made in the field of optical storage made it possible to create discs that could be written and rewritten with the help of a laser. By the year 2000, most “high configuration” personal computers and laptops had CD-RW drives in them. These days, computer hardware parts are becoming more and more cheaper and thus it is possible to get a CD-RW drive for a very low price.

There are two types of CD-RW drives: Internal and External. As evident from the name itself, internal drives are permanently connected to the computer. In other words, they are not portable. On the other hand, external drives are portable and are connected to the computer through the USB port. External drives are costly when compared to internal drives, but their portability offers many advantages.

In the recent years, DVD-R and DVD-RW drives have replaced the CD-RW drive. These drives can read and write ordinary CDs just like the conventional CD-RW drive and in addition, these also read and write DVDs. DVDs have a much higher storage capacity. A CD can store approximately 700 MB of data. On the other hand, a DVD can store 4.7 GB of data. In addition, USB drives have also become very cheap and dependable. USB drives with large storage capacities (4 GB or more) are available for affordable prices. These developments are making CD-RW drives less and less popular and it will a few years before these drives get completely replaced by newer technologies.