Yamaha Corporation is shipping the CRW8824EZ internal E-IDE (ATAPI) model ReWritable CD recorder. CRW8824EZ, beyond its yummy name, is the first recorder to rewrite CD-RW discs at 8x speed. The company is shipping this unit with E-IDE connectors, but a FireWire unit will be shipped in July. The unit ships with Mac compatibility and Adaptec's Toast. According to Yamaha:
Yamaha Corporation of America is currently shipping the CRW8824EZ internal E-IDE (ATAPI) model ReWritable CD recorder. Designed as part of a new generation of high-speed CD recorders from Yamaha, CRW8824EZ is the world's first recorder to rewrite CD-RW discs at 8x speed, doubling the current standard of 4x and cutting the required time to rewrite a CD-RW disc in half.
In addition to 8x rewrite capabilities, the CRW8824EZ lets users rip audio CDs at 24x, up to three times faster than conventional CD-RW recorders in the marketplace. Ripping is the process of converting CD music tracks to WAV and MP3 files for creating music CDs on a PC.
The CRW8824EZ offers 140 ms average access time and a large 4 MB buffer memory, recording on CD-R discs at a top speed of 8x (writing a 650 MB CD in 9 minutes) and reading CDs at a sustained maximum rate of 24x. It is also the first CD-RW recorder to use Yamaha's patented PurePhase(TM) Laser System which eliminates the glare and reflections created on the surface of the disc while burning a CD.
The CRW8824EZ uses high-performance 8x CD-R and CD-RW media for optimum recording. While blank 8x high-performance CD-R discs are widely available in the marketplace, Yamaha and other leading manufacturers have just introduced a new breed of 8x rewritable media, capable of reliable 8x rewriting at a cost only slightly higher than quality 4x certified CD-RW media.
In July, CRW8824EZ will be joined by three other models from the CRW8824 family: the internal CRW8824SZ using Ultra SCSI (SCSI-3); the external CRW8824SXZ using Ultra SCSI (SCSI-3) interface; and the external CRW8824FXZ using IEEE 1394 FireWire(TM) technology, which provides easy installation, reliable performance and fast recording speeds.
The CRW8824EZ includes a software bundle which features Adaptec class-leading Easy CD Creator, Direct CD and Toast, Adobe's ActiveShare, PageMill, Photo Deluxe Business Edition, MusicMatch Jukebox, plus the Neato CD Labeler Kit.
The CRW8824EZ CD-RW is available for an estimated price of US$249.99 and you can find more information about Yamaha's CD recorders at their Web site. There is no product page up yet for this specific model.
