If you're an overindulgent computer user like me with a number of machines around the house, an external CD-RW can keep you from buying multiple internal models while letting you bring along a backup device when you're on the road. The added bonus is that the price of these previously pricey external burners has come down significantly this year. Plextor's new external 3-in-1 PlexWriter 24/10/40U CD-RW optical disk drive embraces the USB 2.0 standard and is compatible with Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP, as well as MAC OS 8.6 (USB 1.1) and MAC OS X (USB 2.0). The drive features BURN-Proof technology, which Philippe talks about in his recent article on internal CD burners . Using a slow source drive or attempting to perform multiple tasks while recording a CD can lead to buffer underrun errors that render the disc unusable. BURN-Proof technology prevents buffer underrun errors, so end-users can multi-task by sending email or surfing the Web while recording a high-quality CD. When connected to a computer via USB 2.0 interface, Plextor says the 3-in-1 drive is capable of 24X CD-recording, 10X CD-rewriting, and 40X-max CD-playback. The drive is backward compatible with all USB 1.1 interfaces to record CDs at 4X, rewrites CDs at 4X, and plays CDs at 6X-max speeds. The PlexWriter 24/10/40U features a 4MB data buffer and Digital Audio Extraction rates to a maximum of 40X. Burst data transfer rates are 480 Mb/sec (USB 2.0) or 12 Mb/sec (USB 1.1). The drive also supports a wide variety of writing modes, including Track-at-Once, Disc-at-Once, Session-at-Once, Multisession, and variable/fixed packet writing. The portable PlexWriter 24/10/40U CD-RW drive with the USB 2.0 interface is scheduled for shipment to at the end of this month with an MSRP of $229.