Rating: 
Summary: good hardware, bad software
Review: This is like other HP products, decent hardware but junk driversoftware. If you buy this drive, you will need to spend anothersixty-dollars ... to get a decentCD writer software because the one comes with the drive doesn't run under NT/2000 Server, doesn't make VCD/mixed CD, has almost nothing you can config, can't copy CD to image file, and doesn't even save the CD layout. I'm lucky that I had NTI CD Maker 2000 and I'm happy about the combination, but I just don't think it is right that HP puts a higher price tag on their products while providing you a software with a lot less features than the average.
Rating: 
Summary: Great product for the price
Review: For someone who knows nothing about computers, this was a cinch! I had the writer installed and burned my first CD within 45 minutes. The installation directions were very simple and the software for burning CDs was so simple. It walks you through everything. The price was great and I would recommend this product for any beginner like me.
Rating:
Summary: Retraction of preivious review
Review: Just to set things strait about hp 8200 series external cd writer. I previously wrote a very bad review about this product and i want everyone to know that it was unjustified.upon further experimenting i found that it was the software i was using. roxio 5.0 I am now using CLICK AND BURN PRO and i have not made one coaster in over 50 burns.again my apologies to hp. its a great writer.
Rating:
Summary: A great way to record your own music cds.
Review: For those of you who know very little about computers (like me), let me just say that this product lets you record your own music cds onto blank (CD-R) compact discs. Once recorded, you can't change it, but since each blank cd costs about 50 cents, that's not a problem (simply record a new one). I bought an external drive because I didn't want to have to disassemble my computer to install an internal drive (easy though some people might make it sound). This one just plugs into the USB port of my computer.Installing the software necessary to run the drive was easy (they guide you step by step). I was able to record ("burn") my first music cd in less than an hour after I opened the box. There are many wonderful features that I haven't discovered yet, but I'm quite happy with this product already. With this drive I can record my favourite songs from different cds and put them in one customized "greatest songs" cd. I used to do that with tapes, but cds have many advantages. If you already own a computer, this may be an excellent way to expand its possibilities.
Rating: 
Summary: A pretty good burner
Review: I had some problems burning cds when I first bought the burner, but since I updated the burning program (make sure you do that!) I haven't had any problems. So, UPDATE THE CD WRITING PROGRAMS AND EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE. It's good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Burner works fine, Software has bugs
Review: After reading the mixed reviews on the HP CD Writer 8220e, I decided to try it. I did not plan on using this machine a whole lot, just to burn a few CDs every now and then, so I wasn't looking for anything top of the line. And this CD Writer is definitely not that. I was able to burn a couple data CDs successfully but when I tried to burn a music CD, I kept getting an error after the process finished, telling me the CD couldn't be written for some odd reason. I tried a CD from a different manufacturer - same result. Not only did it not work, that CD could not be used again. After wasting 5 CDs, I finally figured out that the problem is with the HP MyCD software. After adding the files to your layout, the software will tell you that you have extra time left, but then the CD-R will run out of space (without telling you). At this point, the software doesn't know what to do, so it ejects your CD, and you can't use it again. Not only that, there is no way to save your layout, so you have to design it all over again. The best thing to do is leave at least 3 minutes of time available after adding files to your layout. Once I did this, the problem was resolved. Or you could spend $90 and get the Adaptec Easy CD Creator software, which is much more user-friendly and has fewer bugs.
Rating: 
Summary: HP CD Writer
Review: A complete disaster. Worked well at first, then problems with buffer underuns, then more problems with destroying CDs.
Rating:
Summary: An average product
Review: It's an average product. The software packages bundled with the burner are ok. I had to buy a better burning software. It's a usb product but doesn't work on macintosh. Though HP claims the burner dooesn't support Mac, it's still bit disappointing to know that it doesn't really work on mac. I'm saying this, because when ZipCD first came out, Iomega didn't have the driver and software for mac and yet it still worked on the platform. Even MS usb mouses without a driver works on mac. What really amazes me about HP is that customer representative never replies your email enquiries. BTW, HP delivers rebate checks really fast, and that's the only thing I like about HP.
Rating:
Summary: a little slow, but a good product
Review: I originally bought the HP 9350i CD-RW, and it wouldn't fit. So I returned it and purchased the 8220e about three weeks ago, and I have used it several times. I had it unpacked, the software installed, and burning my first CD within 30 minutes. I am running an IBM Aptiva, Windows 98, 96mb RAM, AMD 400mhz, with a DVD player. Now the software that is included is really user friendly, but not much info or instructions with it. I had no problem installing it. The only problem I've incountered, is that my DVD won't work if the CD-RW is connected to the computer. This could be a software glitch, I don't know. So far I am pleased with the performance, it's a little slow, but I am just doing some music CD's and hard drive backup. A nice product for a novice burner.
Rating:
Summary: HP Consumer Product is Terrible - Please go other choices
Review: I got this 8200e two week ago. last weekend I was trying to install it onto my Dell Dimension desktop and hoping to duplicate a few data CDs. Installation was fast and simple. Then I followed every step in their on-line help menu to ensure my system is ready before the burning action. ( mine is a PII , with 128M RAM, and 4G free disk space ). In order to make the system stable, I shut down every possible program even including the Anti-virus real time monitor. and set the write speed to only 2x. Then the angry part starts. Everytime, in the middle of the burning ( writting ), the HP myCD software pops "error writting, change a new CD-R and try again ". I tried 4 CD-R , even including the HP one that included in the package, never able to complete once. There is not so much information provided, so I still can not trace down the problem. 4 CD-R gone, ( 3 SONY, 1 HP), and now still no clue about what is going on. I have another comment, which is about the software packages included.and the way this 8200e package is designed.HP pre-bundled 3 software, with each has some duplicated functions, and from different vendors. that is making a consumer's life very difficult. people buy this for burning CD, why making life so difficult? Obviously, the mentality is "we are hardware company, those just for your try, if the machine can function, the rest is not our problem." However, the key point of a CD writer is to copy and write CD. Being an once-a-time HP employee, I really feel so bad about the way now they design product. NO HEART. So obvious they never bother to think from a customer's view point. Just because a lot of vendor have it, so HP also can package something ( this is not manufactured by HP at all ), label it and make some revenue out of it. NO HEART. because it wasted 4 CD-R, and still can not function, and the software that supposed to make it function is so confusing, I gave it the lowest score. the worse thing is, HP products are usually more expensive then other OEM brands. But in this case, the extra quality is totally not there. The product is designed without heart and commitment to customer. You will definately be disappointed. I must say, keep away from HP brand, they are no longer what the two letter meant for.
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