Alera 260123 CD Copy Cruiser 52x 1:1 CD Duplicator

Rating:
Summary: not as useful as I'd hoped
Review: I picked up one of these thinking I'd have any easy way to copy my band's demos and make our own CDr albums, but to burn without multiple unlistenable errors you have to copy slow at 4x and I have had problems even with that. The unit is being returned to the manufacturer for warranty service - they have been responsive - so hopefully it is just an easy repair. (Sep 13, 04)

Alera replaced the writer and upgraded the firmware. So far it seems to have corrected the problem! Hopefully I can get some use out of this now without worrying about errors, in which case, this rocks... (Oct 15, 04)

Rating:
Summary: Condensed From Materials Provided By The Manufacturer
Review: With the CD Copy Cruiser Stand Alone CD Duplicator you have the convenience of simple one touch operation or the choice of using powerful duplicating tools when you need them. CD duplicating professionals and serious users must have the flexibility to control CD duplicating processes over a very wide range of variables. You may want to reduce copy speed to reproduce the highest quality audio, or your blank media may be certified at less than the maximum recording speed. Many times source discs are of questionable quality or have been created in a way that makes duplication difficult. Alera Technologies, innovator of Prosumers' Choice products, has designed the CD Copy Cruiser with its Cruise Control 100 professional CD Duplicator Controller to put you in control. You can adjust speeds and other copy functions, verify the copies after they are made, simulate the copy process without actually burning media and much more with a complete menu of tools necessary for making successful copies and improving yields. Or you can simply push "Copy" for a quick, easy duplicate disc. Without these features a CD duplicator can have very limited uses.
Now you can compile your own custom audio CDs with the CD Copy Cruiser without a computer, as well as duplicate CDs at speeds up to 52x. The advanced features of the CD Copy Cruiser make it the right choice for your computer room, entertainment center and your office or business. Its distinctive "Professional Black" look fits anywhere and is available only from Alera Technologies.
More and more business, government and education offices, musicians, record publishers, audio and video professionals, software and game developers, graphic artists, churches and other private organizations, are looking for a cost effective means to duplicate CDs to distribute to customers, clients, employees, students, organization members, etc. The need to duplicate CDs in your own office, where you have total control of the schedules, quantity and content has been growing since the first CD-Recorders came on the scene. Until now, the necessary equipment has been cumbersome, hard to operate, and very expensive.
Alera Technologies, the leader in desktop optical disc duplicator technology, has established a reputation with its 1:1 CD duplicators as being the company that offers duplicators with the performance and features required by professionals, at consumer prices. Applying our experience, with an in-depth understanding of the needs of the home and office user, Alera Technologies has developed the CD Copy Cruiser with the speed and control features needed in a professional environment and the stand alone power to compile audio CDs, a "must have" for the personal user.
The CD Copy Cruiser CD Duplicator incorporates the latest 52x Alera Technologies CD recording and duplicating technology. CD Copy Cruiser's are the professional, yet simple, solution for creating CD copies quickly and easily; For example, the CD Copy Cruiser can copy a typical CD in as few as 2 minutes; the fastest CD duplicators currently available. The actual time to copy the information a source CD to CD-R blank discs, start to finish, will vary due to the quality of the discs being used, write process initialization tests by the duplicator controller, writing lead in/lead out information, etc.
The CD Copy Cruiser incorporates a back lighted LCD readout that reports the % complete and other status elements of the copy process. It is important to be able to see this information as the process is taking place so you have an idea of when it will be completed. This is particularly useful when copying difficult to duplicate CDs.
CD Copy Cruiser stand alone CD duplicators do not require a computer for any of their duplicating or editing functions. Since CD Copy Cruisers do not require connection to a PC, they do not interfere with valuable workstation activity. There is no additional hardware or software required to make copies, no set up other than plugging one in and turning on the power. There is no software to load and no need to attach extra cables, etc. to your computer. You can make as many quick copies as you need. CD Copy Cruiser's are very compact units that take up little desktop space and can be easily moved
With the ease of operation of the CD Copy Cruiser, there is no concern as to who can operate the machine, what skill level the operator possesses, or how much training will be needed. No special computer, multimedia or mastering experience is needed to make copies. For the normal copy job, you simply load the CD to be copied in the CD-ROM drive, load the a blank CD in the CD-Recorder, Select Copy, Select the copy speed and in a few minutes you have an exact copy of your source CD.
Even though the CD Copy Cruiser is easy to use, it includes powerful, professional copy control features normally available only on much more expensive systems. For complete control and copying flexibility the CD Copy Cruiser has a powerful built in controller for stand alone copying with professional functions and diagnostics.
The applications are limitless, everything from the distribution of business information, graphics, multimedia files, music productions, to simple backup of your software.
Musicians, Record Publishers, and Audio Professionals can control their careers by issuing their pre-release albums to record companies, making demo copies and custom distributions for radio stations and studios, all without having to rely on outside services to copy their CDs.
Business, Government, and Education users can create multiple redundant copies of backup data and archive documents, to store safely offsite as recommended by industry experts. Workgroups can distribute large files to other departments. Companies can make copies of training programs and much more.
Software Developers and Game Producers can make copies for beta testing and short run distribution to potential customers. With the CD Copy Cruiser it is easy to make multiple copies of each version.
Graphic Artists can make multiple copies of large image files for review, archiving and distribution to clients and service bureaus.