Samsung SE-218BB Ultrathin Optical Disc Drive

With the rise of ultrabooks, the internal optical drive is no longer the mainstay it once was. So should disc devotees sacrifice their beloved CDs and DVDs or remain mired in the past? Lucky for them, few portable optical drives solve this conundrum with as much panache as the Samsung SE-218BB Ultrathin Optical Disc Drive ($59.99 list). Not only does its attractive, svelte design mirror the ultrabook aesthetic, it also eschews the cumbersome Y connector typical of portable optical drives and boasts quick, quiet performance. Although the SE-218BB doesn't offer Blu-ray compatibility like the Editors' Choice?winning Pioneer BDR-XD04 ($149.99 direct, 4 stars), it does what it's supposed to, and looks good in the process.

Design and Features

Samsung touts the SE-218BB as the world's thinnest portable optical drive, and there's little reason for us to doubt that claim. Measuring by 0.55 by 5.75 by 5.5 inches (HWD) and weighing just under nine ounces, the SE-218BB is markedly slimmer than the HP dvd550s ($69.99 direct, 3 stars) and can fit easily into any laptop bag. It has a super-thin black plastic chassis and faux?brushed aluminum lid embossed with a Samsung logo that thankfully does little to detract from the device's elegant, subdued look. Like the HP dvd550s and the Lite-On eNAU708 ($39.99 list, 3.5 stars), the SE-218BB is intended for horizontal placement and sports a tray-loading design.

Another attribute of the SE-218BB is the fact that it uses a standard USB 2.0 cable instead of the Y connector most portable optical drives employ. This is a huge plus as the lengths of each strand in Y connectors tend to be unevenly distributed, which can make it difficult to conveniently position the drive near your system. Because the included cable can easily be replaced with a longer one, this potential headache is sidestepped entirely.

Unlike the HP dvd550s or the HP dvd560s ($70 street, 3 stars), the SE-218BB is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. A caveat, however: The included software applications (Nero 10 Multimedia Suite Essentials, and Cyberlink's PowerDVD and PowerDirector) only work with Windows, so Mac owners will need to use a different utility to read and write discs.

Performance

The SE-218BB doesn't just look good?it also performs well. During testing, it emitted minimal noise beyond the sound of the spinning disc. Moreover, the four rubberized feet on the drive's underside adeptly absorb vibrations, resulting in a drive that will remain inconspicuous even when you're out and about. The SE-218BB also remained cool throughout testing; during software installation, its temperature hovered around 83 degrees Fahrenheit (as measured with a Fluke IR thermometer), and even when burning DVDs it stayed at about 85 degrees. I encountered no problems during multimedia playing and burning. (Samsung advertises write speeds ranging from 6X for dual-layer DVDs to 24X for CD-RWs.)

One shortcoming with the drive may affect some users. Samsung claims that the SE-218BB supports USB-equipped Android tablets that run on Honeycomb 3.1 or later, a group limited to the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, Asus Transformer, and Acer Iconia. When I attempted to test the SE-218BB with the last the tablet failed to recognize the drive, both in and out of AV mode (achieved by holding the eject button when the tray is open). Ultimately, this is a minor hiccup, as the SE-218BB is geared mainly toward the ultrabook crowd, but it's worth noting.

If there were a yearbook for portable optical drives, the Samsung SE-218BB Ultrathin Portable DVD Writer would easily be voted "best dressed" in its class, thanks to its attractive, slender design. But would it also be named "most likely to succeed"? For those unconcerned with Blu-ray functionality, the answer is an unequivocal yes. It performs well, eliminates the cumbersome Y connector from the picture, and is compatible with both Windows and Mac?all for a reasonable price. On the other hand, if purchasing a future-proofed drive is paramount for you, the lack of Blu-ray functionality seals the SE-218BB's fate. We tend to fall in the latter camp, so the Editors' Choice Pioneer BDR-XD04 remains the portable drive to beat. That said, for those simply looking to add DVD functionality to their ultrabooks, the SE-218BB stands near the top of the heap.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Samsung SE-218BB Ultrathin Optical Disc Drive with several other DVD burners side by side.

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