A couple of years ago year the CD / DVD drive on my MacBook packed in, prompting me to shop for an external unit to replace it. In terms of my criteria, I simply wanted something that would be cheap to buy, and also be compatible with Macs as well as PCs. My research led me to Samsung's SE-S084 which had a number of positive reviews on amazon.co.uk.

Specifications and Price
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The SE-S084 not only *plays* CD and DVDs, but it also *records* them too - the CD write speed is a respectable 24x, whilst the DVD write speed maxxes out at 8x. Cost wise, the product retails online for only £23.97, making it one of the cheapest DVD burners on the market.

Design & Appearance + Using the Product
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Appearance wise, the drive is very pleasant looking indeed - it's small, and clad in an unobjectionable black plastic. Measuring only 14 x 14 x 2 cms the device is ultra transportable, and as it draws its power from the USB cable (included) there's no need for an external power supply. Discs are loaded into the device via the opening tray which is accessed by a small button on the front of the unit. Once the button is pressed, the tray quickly pops open - it's then up to the user to fully extend the drawer and subsequently push it closed once the disc is in place.

Performance & Final Word
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I've had no issues with the device regarding performance, and have found it to read all the discs I've entered into it (barring blu-ray) without problems. In use, the product is quiet, and doesn't get excessively hot. From the perspective of reliability, the SE-S04 works as well today as it did when it was new, and I would have no hesitation in highly recommending it to others.