The specs for the 16/10/40A calls for a drive that has a random access time of 140 ms (for reading), which is average for CD-ROM drives, and a 2MB buffer (for writing), which is, again, pretty average when it comes to CD-RW drives.

Another average feature is that it uses CAV and PCAV methods for reading CD's. CAV stands for Constant Angular Velocity, which means that the motor that spins the CD spins at a constant rate, regardless of which part of the CD the drive is reading. A characteristic of this method is that the read speed at the beginning of a CD (or on the inner tracks) will be considerably slower than at the end of the CD (or on the outer tracks) because of the physical design of all CD's. PCAV is a similar method as CAV, but allows for the reading of CD-RW discs. The specifications call for a minimum reading speed on the inner and outer tracks of 17X and 40X, respectively, and 10X and 24X on the inner and outer tracks, respectively, for a CD-RW disc which is, again, pretty average when it comes to a CD-RW drive these days.

For writing, the 16/10/40A uses CLV, or Constant Linear Velocity, meaning that the CD that will be written will be spun faster when the drive is writing to the beginning of the disc and will be slower at the end. This allows for a constant speed of, in the case of the 16/10/40A, 16X for CD-R writing and 10X for CD-RW writing regardless of where the drive is writing to on the CD. This is, again, very much similar to most of the other CD-RW drives out there today, since most also use CLV for writing.

One feature that is not so average about the 16/10/40A, however, is its support for a technology called BURN-Proof. This is a relatively new technology and has only been taken advantage of by a few manufacturers but does marvels for the time-old burn error of "buffer under-runs." A buffer under-run occurs when the computer is not able to deliver data fast enough to the CD writer, so it will just burn a gap where there is no data, thus wrecking the burned CD. BURN-Proof virtually eliminates this problem by allowing burners that support it to essentially pause when there is a buffer under-run and then continue burning when the data gets flowing again. Like many things, BURN-Proof is also dependent on the software being used to burn the CD. One piece of software that supports BURN-Proof is CDRWIN, which is one of the more popular ones for advanced users.

Personally, I have not had many problems with buffer under-runs since my computers usually don't have a problem with delivering data to my CD writers, but with older computers, the risk for buffer under-runs becomes more of a concern and the applications for BURN-Proof become more critical.

As one can see, the PlexWriter 16/10/40A is essentially an average CD-RW drive when it comes to raw speed; however, reliability and quality is one of the key factors to look at, in my mind, when it comes to purchasing a good CD-RW drive, and, with BURN-Proof and the fact that it's made by Plextor, both of these concerns are well addressed.

On to: First Impressions