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CNET editors' top 100 tech products
Storage: hard drives, CD/DVD burners, and software
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Best multiformat single-layer DVD drive (internal)
Plextor PX-712A  with video
To be honest, we didn't review any single-layer drives this year, because that's so last year, right? Well, if you're stubbornly refusing to jump on the double-layer bandwagon, this is the drive for you. The PX-712A has everything going for it: fast speeds, a solid software suite, and excellent support. More than a year later, it's still our favorite single-layer drive.
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Best multiformat double-layer DVD drive (internal)
Plextor PX-716A IDE drive
There are lots of ways to judge an optical burner: single-layer rip and burn speed, double-layer rip and burn speed, CD rip and burn speed, and so on. No drive excels at every task, but the Plextor PX-716A is an overall winner among the internal drives, scoring high in almost every test category. We're calling this the winner for 2005.
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Best multiformat double-layer DVD drive (external)
Iomega Super DVD Writer 16X16 USB 2.0
External burners are far easier to install and mess with than internal burners, though the trade-off for this ease is speed. Still, the Iomega Super DVD Writer 16X16 USB 2.0 is no laggard. With the latest speeds and feeds, this USB drive burned through the competition, making it the best external burner we reviewed in 2005.
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Best external hard drive for desktops
LaCie d2 Hard Drive Extreme with Triple Interface
The LaCie d2 Hard Drive Extreme with Triple Interface tags on FireWire 800 ports to the usual FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 offerings, making it a versatile hard drive for any user. Its large capacity, sleek form factor, and relatively low price make it a winner for 2005.
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Best portable external hard drive
Western Digital Passport portable USB drive
If you're busy zipping from place to place and need truly portable storage, you can't go wrong with the Western Digital Passport. It's fast and inexpensive, and it has a number of thoughtful design features that make it easy to travel with. It's our pick of the portable hard drive crop for 2005.
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Best flash thumbdrive
SanDisk Cruzer Profile with video
Sure, you can drive a Mini over the Cruzer Titanium and still access your data, but the SanDisk Cruzer Profile lets you protect your data and login information with your fingerprint. Beat that! It's not the sleekest thumbdrive, but its features make it a definite winner for 2005.
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Best network storage hard drive
Buffalo TeraStation NAS with video
Though we've seen other terabyte arrays over the past year, we still like the Buffalo TeraStation the best. It's easy to set up and configure, has a range of RAID security levels, and its price-per-gigabyte is hard to beat.
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Best burning software for Windows
Nero 6 Ultra Edition
Although Nero 7 Ultra Edition came out this year, reported user problems have us sticking with version 6 for now. Nero 6 is a versatile and comprehensive burning program that handles all CD- and DVD-creation tasks with aplomb.
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Best burning software for Mac OS
Toast Titanium 7 with video
Roxio's Toast is undoubtedly the best burning suite for Mac users, and version 7 continues the tradition of quality. Its simple, clean design belies the multitude of task options below, and new features keep longtime users abreast of new technology. This one earned an Editors' Choice award, too, making it a no-brainer for 2005.
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Best backup program
Acronis True Image 8 with video
Acronis True Image 8 is a first-class imaging program that makes it easy to copy the contents of a hard drive to removable media or to a separate disk or partition. We liked it so much we gave it an Editors' Choice award--clearly the best backup program of the year.
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