Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Considering the price, this is basic external CD/DVD drive that works. For some who use external drive extensively, might want to consider higher end product that will endure wear & tear of the drive. Others who use infrequently (once in a while), this LG might fit the bill. 1. It is decently built. Made of plastic, while somewhat sturdy, still it will break if dropped. So handle with care. 2. It works with Windows 7, 8, & 8.1 out of the box. You do not need to install separate driver. Windows (7&8) will recognize the drive. So you can read & write CDs and DVDs. Read & Write speed is average among this price range. 3. You can play DVD as well, but EITHER you can install the software (CD) that came with it OR download & use VLC media player. Windows Media Player will not play DVD. 4. You do not need 2nd USB cord to power the drive. A provided single USB cable will connect and power up LG drive through your notebooks. It also works well with netbooks. I connected the LG drive to ASUS eee PC 1000HA (2gb RAM, Win 7, 128gb SSD), and it worked great! 5. Works with Linux as well. I dual-boot eee PC 1000HA with Win 7 and Xubuntu 14.10, and Xubuntu 14.10 recognized the drive and played the DVD in VLC media player. 6. You can also connect the drive to your TV - provided that your TV has USB port. So you can play your DVD and watch it on your TV. 7. You can read/write M-Discs. This is a great advantage of this drive. M-Discs can store your files (docs, pictures, & movies) for 1000 years. Yes. 1000 years. 8. The box comes with DVD drive, manual, 1 USB cable, and Software CD (to play DVDs, install drivers, etc). But I did not need the software CD for my purpose. But it is good to have it handy, just in case. All in all, this is a simple CD/DVD drive that will work well with your notebooks and netbooks, including Linux OS. Again, if you are going to use the drive extensively (every day), then you might want to purchase something more sturdy, but if you are going to use it occasionally, then this LG model is a great product for you. Highly recommended.