► 95ms Random access seek time
     ► Ultra DMA and Multi-block transfers
     ► Double shell dust-sealed mechanism
     ► Multimedia MPC-3 compliant
     ► Multisession PHOTO-CD Support
     ► CD-ROM XA ready

     Pretty much just a standard CD-ROM reader. Press the one button located on the front of the drive, insert your CD and the yellow LED will flicker and flash when the drive is active. Other than a black bezel we're not buying CD-ROM drives to look at them.

     We need to know if its worth spending the extra $25 to get the Toshiba DVD drive or stick it out with a dedicated CD-ROM reader. We'll take the exact two CDs we had before and test the Mitsumi in the same manor. Ultra DMA Mode 2 was verified enabled on the IDE channel to which the Mitsumi was connected.

     The data stroke test comes out pretty even. The Start, End, and Average speeds are almost identical on an integer level. The Random seek time of 92ms can (on a stretch) be called close to the Mitsumi claim of 85ms. From there the seek times skyrocket, just as the Toshiba did. CPU usage is a little odd. At 1x the drive hogs more cycles than at 4x and 8x! The test was ran almost 4 times and each time the utilization rates were almost identical. At 1x it simply uses more cycles. Hmm. The 1 Megabyte burst rate is right on target.

     The following test will show the Digital Audio Extraction (DAE) capability of the Mitsumi

     The only thing I can give kudos to the Mitsumi drive for is the CPU utilization rate while performing DAE duties. Other than that, the Toshiba DVD drive is clearly more suited to the task. The Mitsumi drive starts and ends the DAE process at a much slower speed with a Burst rate so low it can't be measured. While the 151ms seek time truly isn't important during DEA the Toshiba shaved a full 50ms off the time.

     So when it comes time for you to choose a drive, the question remains as to which functions are more important. Besides the obvious that the Toshiba can read DVD-R and DVD-ROM discs, the Toshiba drive is also a little better suited to handle Digital Audio Extraction. Plextor drives seem to be the best i have seen so far at DAE tasks, most Plextor drives will set you back at least $130 which is unacceptable for people building a machine with a tight budget. If I were making the decision, I would go with the Toshiba.