I would call this a convenient retrogression. There is hardly any doubt that Blu-ray and HD-DVD drives are still low on the priority lists of buyers. Perhaps, due to the limited knowledge they have about these drives. And, in such a scenario, Sony doesn’t want to take chances. It reflects in the latest release of its conventional CD/DVD burners – the S70 and the 840 series.

The multi-format disc drives feature a distinct variety of slim, external drives and internal models that offer the best of both worlds. The DRX-S70U is slim and sleek and offers burn speeds as follows:

- 8X DVD+/-R
- 4X DVD+/-R DL
- 8X DVD+RW
- 6X DVD-RW
- 24X CD-R/RW

The 840 series – DRU-840A and DRX-840U offer the same burn speeds as shown below:

- 20X DVD+/-R
- 12X DVD+/-R DL
- 12X DVD+RW
- 6X DVD-RW
- 48X CD-R
- 32X CD-RW

However, the difference between the two is that the former is internal while the latter is external. Additionally, the DRU-840A is an ATAPI (EIDE) drive. On the other hand, the DRX-840U can be connected via USB 2.0 (or USB 1.1, with slower write speeds) to offer the ultimate portability.

The drives are incorporated with Nero 7 Express.

With the variety, Sony looks to cater to the laptop market and the PC market at the same time. The drives will be available from September. The pricing of DRX-840U & DRX-S70U is $110 and $130 respectively, while the DRU-840A is currently on the stands for $70.

Via: cnet86793