Dell DW316 External DVD-RW Drive Brings Optical Media Back for $39
TechRadar reports the Dell DW316 Slim external USB DVD-RW drive is available for $39 at Amazon, offering plug-and-play CD and DVD reading and writing for laptops without built-in optical drives.
TechRadar described the DW316 as a lightweight, slim external writer with CD and DVD reading and writing, plug-and-play operation and free CyberLink Media Suite 12 software. It is positioned for users who need to rip discs, access archived files or watch movies stored on physical media. The publication said the drive proved useful for watching a wedding video from 20 years ago that was locked on DVD, and it called the drive an easy recommendation for those tasks.
TechRadar said the drive has never been priced above $52 since at least 2015, while its lowest price was $16 in 2020. General trends show it holding around the $35 to $40 mark, the article said. TechRadar also noted Dell's external disc drive is available at Best Buy for $40, reduced from $50.
The publication's buying advice says users should buy the DW316 if they occasionally need to access old CDs, DVDs or disc-based software, or want an inexpensive way to create physical copies of important files. It said data burned to a write-once disc cannot be accidentally deleted, overwritten or changed, giving users a permanent physical copy that can be kept offline and separate from a computer. The drive can also create discs using the included CyberLink Media Suite 12 software.
TechRadar said users should skip the DW316 if they need Blu-ray support or regularly work with large amounts of data. DVDs have limited capacity compared with modern storage devices, and the drive cannot read or write Blu-rays. The article also noted the DW316 connects over USB and uses an older optical-drive design, so transfer speeds should not be expected to match an external SSD or flash drive. Its purpose is accessing and creating optical media rather than moving large files quickly.
TechRadar added that users will need compatible blank writable discs if they intend to use the drive for backups or archiving, adding a small extra cost. The publication said the drive's small size means it can be tucked away until it is actually needed.