Respected hardware review site Hexus.net recently put the new Venus II CD-RW drive from TX through a barrage of tests. The doubling in CD-ReWrite speed to 24x surprised them: “24x is quite a leap in technological terms. The newer Ultra-speed CD-RWs (24x) are supposed to be hitting the market soon.”

During their tests they found it was no slouch at reading media either “it peaks at over 50x, faster than specification.”

Their conclusions took account of “the fact that it's such a good reader of both pressed audio and data discs. With more and more people interested in transplanting their CD collections on to their PCs, CD-ripping speed is of some importance. The fact that it can write to 99-minute CDs is always a bonus.”

“Another pleasing aspect is the conformance to the new Mount Rainier standard. This standard should allow CD-based drives to be as easy-to-use as a floppy drive.”

They conclude: “I'd recommend the Tx Venus II. It excels in not just writing but also in reading. With an estimated street price of around £50, it's not too heavy on the pocket either.”

For more details visit http://www.hexus.net/.