Review So ubiquitous has DVD burning become that when Lite-on sent us its ETDU108 slimline external optical drive, we naturally assumed it could write DVD±R/RW discs. It was only when we tried unsuccessfully to burn one that we realised our assumption was incorrect.

Liteon's ETDU108: read only

The ETDU108 is a read-only device designed solely for the purpose of getting content onto your computer but not off it.

Lite-on's motivation for releasing such a product is the vast number of netbooks out there, all lacking optical drives. This means they can't be used to watch DVDs or to install new software direct from discs.

The same applies to the emerging class of very thin laptop pioneered by the likes of Apple's MacBook Air that likewise lack built-in optical drives of any kind.

Owners of these machines represent a new market for Lite-on. While slimline optical drives aren't new they have largely commanded a price premium because sales volumes were low and they were seen as a more desirable alternative to bulky desktop drives.

Compact

No longer. The ETDU108 can be picked up for between £25 and £30, which is eminently affordable for anyone who wants to hook it up to a netbook for DVD viewing or software installation.