Alera Technologies DVD/CD Shredder

Rating:
Summary: Great Product
Review: As a test I used a CD filled with freeware. I inserted a CD into the insert slot on the machine and it pulled the CD inside. After the CD was ejected I could see ridges throughout the CD (top and bottom layers) making it unreadable and safe from prying eyes. In order to test the manufacturer's promise I inserted the CD into a computer drive and tried to read the data. The computer gave me a hour glass and was unable to load the CD.

Success! I now use it on all my test CDs before going in the trash.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent: Fast and solid - Everyone should have one.
Review: First off, I bought this from JR.com through Amazon and they were just first class. I got an immediate e-mail and when it was shipped, I got another e-mail with UPS tracking information. Moreover, I got the machine in four days! I was very impressed.

Now to the shredder. It is small, compact, solid and powerful. It took me a few minutes to understand just how it worked but once I figured it out, it worked flawlessly and quick. I went through a large handful of CDs in a minute or two.

I am sure I will get lots of use from this shredder. I sort of wish I had one that also shredded floppies. But once I get rid of those, I won't have any more so it's not a major thing.

The price on this unit is amazing. I was frankly surprised to get such a powerful little unit for this price.

Of course, this is not industrial strength. But for a private person or a small office, it's just perfect. You can clear out a pile of CDs fast.

Highly recommended.

Susanna K. Hutcheson
Owner/Executive Copy Director
Powerwriting.com LLC

Rating:
Summary: I was dubious but it seems to work
Review: I bought one of these to use at work to shred not only sensitive data but outdated software CDs before discarding them. I was dubious that the waffle-like pattern this shredder impresses into the surface could render the CD unreadable but I tried reading several CDs that I had run through the device and could not read any of them. I examined one of them with a microscope and found that the indents (yes they are indents, not ridges) actually go deep enough to make small tears in the reflective layer of the CD. Could someone with very sophisticated equipment still read the CD? Perhaps, but they would probably not be able to get all of it and, as another reviewer said, if someone wanted your data that badly, they would probably use more direct methods. I like the fact that there is a shredder that doesn't actually physically shred the CD into small shards, which seem dangerous and messy to dispose of. However, if you really feel the need to physically shred CDs, you can buy the Alera 240120, available through amazon.com for $89.88.

Rating:
Summary: Does what it purports to do.
Review: I requested this as a Christmas gift and was happy to receive it. The growing threat of identity theft makes something like this almost mandatory for the CD burning PC enthusiast.

The device does not actually "shred" the CD, as I expected, nor does it remove the data layer (more on this a little further on) but it impresses the CD with a waffle-like set of ridges that render it unreadable by any normal means. The device is a little noisy, but not objectionable, and it is very fast. A dozen CD's were completed in a little over twenty seconds.

I would give this device a 5 except for two points; one, it really doesn't shred the Cd in the way I am accustomed to in a secure environment. The data layer on the CD or DVD is left intact, but the strata over the top is ridged so reading through it is impossible by any normal means. Is this a worry? Not really. What it does is render the media unreadable by any average dumpster diver. A Government agency with all the resources at their disposal could, conceivably, extract the data in spite of the waffling this device creates on the media. However, a Government Agency that interested in your media would not think twice about getting a warrant or otherwise getting your data, so the average Joe (or Jane) is safe.

My other gripe is the extremely sparse manual, which makes no mention of this pitfall. Alera should, at the least, point out that it's not a perfect solution.

That said, this is an excellent device, and well worth the price. I'll be using it a lot, and no longer will have to Dremel or burn any media. If you need to make sure no one, not even Govt. agencies, get your data, use some other method, but for me, this is perfect.

Rating:
Summary: Alera Technologies DVD/CD Shredder
Review: The DVD/CD shredder is small and compact and weighs about 8 lbs (3.6 kilos). You can easily make room for it on your desktop. This DVD/CD shredder is well worth the money because other methods (e.g.: professional data shredding services) are either more expensive or (when snapping CDs or DVDs in half by hand) downright dangerous. Businesses often store customer, personnel, confidential and manufacturing data on large volumes of CDs. The DVD/CD shredder comes into play offering a powerful security solution when the time comes to destroy data and backups which are no longer needed. The DVD/CD shredder is able to destroy data at a very fast rate - up to 30 DVD/CDs a minute.

Rating:
Summary: DVD/CD Shredder provides protection and peace of mind
Review: With a DVD or CD falling into the wrong hands all of your personal financial records, business customer lists, an entire accounting system or more could be lost or used against you. With the growing threat of hazards like identity theft the DVD/CD Shredder provides the protection and peace of mind needed at a very low cost.

...

When information is stored on DVDs and CDs the amount of data and the danger of loss is enormous. Failure to securely dispose of discs containing sensitive data that has become partially obsolete has the potential to destroy you and your business. A single CD holds the equivalent of approximately 80 four-drawer cabinets of text data. One side of a single DVD disc holds about 560 four-drawer cabinets filled with data, seven times CD capacity.

Recording data and information of all types on DVD and CD discs is a growing practice and the problem of secure disposition of old discs is growing faster. When DVDs and CDs are used to store data or back up a system, usually all of the data on a subject is recorded. When changes are made, they are typically to only small parts of the data and when changes are stored, all of the data is re-recorded on a new DVD or CD. The DVD or CD made before the changes still contains much sensitive and valuable information and DVD-Rs and CD-Rs cannot be erased.

Using a DVD/CD Shredder is one step you can take to minimize your risks. Alera Technologies new DVD/CD Shredder permanently destroys the data layers on DVDs and CDs securely preventing unauthorized use. For quick and easy handling, the DVD/CD Shredder will process up to 30 discs per minute, completely destroying the information contained on them and it is equipped with unique autostart/autostop operation.

The DVD/CD Shredder is the ideal security tool for corporate, government, education, and consumer applications.