Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum

Rating:
Summary: Buyer Beware!
Review: Why!? Why take a perfectly good product like Adaptec Easy CD Creator 4 Deluxe and TRASH it with version 5 Platinum!? Astounding! I've been a big fan of versions 3 and 4 for years and I couldn't wait to upgrade to what I assumed would be an even more stable product with some nice (although minor) new features. Wrong!

This is by far the buggiest software I've tried to install in YEARS. Worse, I've lost the ability to burn data CDs. That's right ... I've got pricey CD-burning software that won't burn data CDs on my Dell PIII, 450mhz, 128mbs ram, with an HP 8100 burner, under Windows 98 SE. One colleague with a similar setup can't get the "CD Copier" module to copy a disc, and another complains of unacceptable "scratchy" noises at the beginning of each audio CD track she burns. All of us have downloaded Roxio's hastily prepared patch with no improvement.

But the news gets much worse: I recommended this software to my boss (before I tried it) and it trashed his Windows 2000 ... absolutely and completely! Not a good career move. We spent SIX HOURS recovering from that fiasco. A software package that trashes an operating system that's supposed to be trash-proof takes real programming skill. I emailed Roxio's technical support for help a week ago and have yet to hear back from them. They must be a very busy group indeed.

Something awful happened to this once-fine product when Adaptec spun off its software division and called it the "Roxio" flying circus. Branding is all about TRUST. And I once trusted the name Adaptec. Roxio was given the keys to the car with the responsibility of safeguarding and preserving its fourth-generation CD-burning engine. Instead, I suspect a new team of Chevy mechanics with no history of the software messed with the code and now can't get this Ferrari engine to fire properly. Years of hard-earned band-trust ruined overnight. My question is "Why?"

Stick with version 4, my friends, and count yourself lucky that you passed on this upgrade.

Rating:
Summary: Easy CD Creator 5, Not worth the cost
Review: I have many complaints regarding Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum. I was expecting software that would allow me to make audio not data mp3 cd's. If you make a data mp3 cd, you can only play it on computers or cd players that can read data discs. Most car stereos and home audio cd players are unable to read data cd's. The program determines the space on a cd by the duration of the song, not the size of the file. In otherwords, if you go to burn a cd of 15 mp3 files that come to a total time of 75 minutes on a 74 minute blank cd, it will not allow you to burn the cd eventhough there is 500 mb of free space on the disc. Another complaint is that this version 5.0 doesn't allow me to write at the top speed of my recorder. With Easy CD Creator 4.02, I was able to write cd's at 8X speed. However, with Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum I can write only at 4X or 2X. What also is discouraging is Roxio's technical service. From the time of purchase, you have only 90 days of free technical support, after that you are billed for technical support. After emailing them about a problem, they did not get back to me for over three weeks. I have yet to use the program to create photo cd's or to convert records to cd, so I am unable to comment on the ability of the product to carry out those tasks. Unless you are someone who wants to convert records or photographs to cd, I would not spend the $... to upgrade from Easy Cd Creator 4 to Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum

Rating:
Summary: I wish I'd read these reviews before buying Easy CD Creator
Review: I bought this because I didn't want to jump through the hoops you have to jump through to get the older 3.x version to work on 2000. I thought it would save time, but ended up wasting 4 hours. I couldn't have installed the old 3. version with the patches and tweaking in less than 1.

I've heard of people having trouble easy cd creator, but this is the first time I have, but once makes up for all the others.

Wait for the next rev. to buy easy cd creator if you use Win2K

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Great!
Review: I think everything about this product it great. Simple to use and understand. Many features that allows you to burn music or files. Its also lets you take MP3s and turn them into WAV files !! I also love the CD Copier feature. I can go disc to disc very fast! Get this if you are a new user to the burning world or an expert!

Rating:
Summary: Pass...
Review: Very bloated and kinda buggy. Definitely a bad choice for Windows 2000 users (even with the latest patch from Roxio, still has problems, especially with data CDs). Not even that great for Windows 95/98/ME users. Novices are probably better off with Easy CD 4.03, and users who know what they are doing should check out Nero Burning Rom.

Rating:
Summary: Don't go there
Review: I purchased this software about two weeks ago. When I tried to load, I kept getting an error message saying that I had to finish loading another program that was in process. I tried calling tech support and was informed that it would be at least a 30 minute wait, it was not a toll free number. Needless to say I wasn't about to spend even more money. I sent an e-mail to tech support. A day or so later I received an aknowledgement that my e-mail was recieved. A week later I appended my e-mail requesting immeditate resolution. That was five days ago. I haven't heard from anyone since. My experience says bad product and an even worse company for product support.

Rating:
Summary: Ok -- I don't know what everybody else is talking about, but
Review: First of all I am running Win2k. And after a couple minor install problems (having nothing to do really with Roxio) the Software works great. For less than $100 the software works with almost every major burner around...and you get everything from a simple drop and copy program -- to a full service burning suite all in one package.

So the tech support number isn't toll free. Pay $20 for a $.04 a minute calling card with 480 minutes. Every computer user should have one. Get used to it...at least they don't make you pay for tech support. $90/ 30 minutes is what happens when you get into the real world. Besides the fact burning & software pirates are most likely the reason they don't pay for a toll free number. What is the first thing that 90% of the people using this software will do...burn a copy of the Roxio software and give it to their friends.

I did a complete install and received what is the new Blue Screen of Death...the old Win2k Stop error. Instead of checking my system like a good computer user -- I called tech support and they were nothing but helpful. (And they picked up on the second ring. Personally I would rather have that and pay for it than wait 20 on a toll free line. Back to the Stop error.) But with error it will tell you the file that is causing the problem. 9 times out of ten it will be a HARDWARE conflict. Most likely a scanner because the ASPI layer files for the scanner are very buggy under Win2k. But this wasn't my problem. I was halted by evian.sys . Which just happened to be my Promise hard drive controler. So I rolled back to the last good configuration (use the F5 button at startup, and use it well) found evian.sys, and saw that it was the cache manager for the controller card.

And low and behold I check the bios on my controller and they weren't up to date. So I downloaded the file, flashed the chip on the controller and booted back up. Reinstalled and things couldn't be better.

This is hands down the best CD-R -- CD-RW software around. All the problems with Win2k most likely are because you are using low end components in your computer (if that isn't the most important reason not to by $1000 computer), don't have the latest bios or drivers for your controllers and burner, or you are trying to run win2k with 6 programs open and burning a CD at the same time with only 32MB of ram. And don't buy low end CD-Rs or CD-RWs either because you will be cursing Roxio when you really should be cursing the media manufacturer for shipping your CDs on a leaky boat from the Far East. Don't buy the cheapest...do a little research on the media.

On the other hand I do agree that this technology has still a little bit of a way to go...but it isn't the software or the OS if you have everything updated and buy decent disks.

Rating:
Summary: Incompatible with Windows 2k Pro
Review: No Stars, really. The compatibility issue is a nightmare. I spent several days with my workstation on the lab bench as a direct result of Roxio/Adaptec's lethal incompatibility with Windows 2000 Pro. The cost of the Roxio/Adaptec software and the cost to recover from the damage was significant but irrelevant. The workstation downtime and potential embarassment have me steamed. : Seth H. Bokelman told you the truth. Don't install it 5.0 w/ windows 2000 pro, the damaging results are beyond comprehension. You would rather be attacked by a virus than install Adaptec 5.0. The virus would be easier to recover from. I don't know how else to warn you. Roxio will ask for more money to talk about it, too.

Rating:
Summary: Not as Adverstised
Review: After several years of satisfactory service from Adaptec's EZ CD, version 3, I purchased Easy CD Creator 5.0 Platinum when I upgraded to Windows 2000.

Easy CD Creator 5.0 Platinum is (STILL) advertised as being compatible with Win 2000 but IT IS NOT.

After several phone calls to Roxio Support, they finally admitted that this is the case but have no idea if and when a fix will be available.

I applied for a refund, an application they accepted graciously, and am looking elswhere for a usable product.

Amamzon should remove this erroneous advertising.

Rating:
Summary: coaster maker
Review: BOUGHT THIS AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH IT. MADE NOTHING BUT COASTERS.