Re: Bad CD Drive

[Dave Garnett <dave.garnett@metapurple.co.uk>]

> Looks like I have worn out a CD drive loading the data base.  I find it
> hard to believe, but it has been taking longer and longer to "find" a disk
> when inserted.  OK, heat is the suspected problem, but the case is brand
> new and everything is set up neatly and the case feels cool.  Sigh!  It is
> off to Best Buy, CompUSA and the like to see what they have tonight.
>

Tom, how often do you clean your CD drives ? I've found that some of them 
act as an additional vent for the case, drawing dirt in the front which ends 
up on the lens. I cycle a cleaner disk (the thing with the little brushes) 
before any major writing session, and I'd certainly use it if any 
significant read errors showed.


> My general impression is that CD/DVD software and hardware need more
> engineering.  Gone are the days when IBM engineered these things and they
> worked first time every time.  But then a computer equivalent to what I
> have on my desk would have cost Ten Billion Dollars.  So I will go pay $70
> for something that is unbelievably complex, and might even work.  There is
> a great race to make these things faster and better and cheaper and dang
> that they work or not.
>
> Tom Droege
>
>
Actually, after looking inside a few, I'm amazed that they work at all !

Dave