CD-RW Mastering Software Shoot Out! And The Winner Is? Douglas Smith
Determining a clear winner is a tough assignment when you consider the fact that each and every package creates a good finished CD, whether Audio, or Data. So to come up with a clear winner we compared the total package and all of the extras along with the cost and ease of use.
Each package had pretty simple and easy installation routines except with Easy CD Creator which we felt just took too long to load and didn’t allow enough choices, including use of TSRs floating around in the system tray. After the installation all programs were pretty straightforward in operation, and Prassi PrimoCD Plus and Nero Burning ROM had really nice wizards that help even novices through the creation process. Easy CD Creator, on the other hand had a little different approach: an avatar-based wizard, which uses little animated characters guide users through the process of mastering a CD.
Now price on the other hand is a big determining factor for some of us and Easy Creator was the most expensive of the bunch, but does come as OEM with a lot of CD-RWs in a lite version. The Deluxe version of this package is $89, while Prassi PrimoCD Plus comes in at $79 and Nero Burning ROM runs $69 with a downloadable version for $49 without the extra goodies that come with the full package, such as the Jewel Case Editor and Nero Player.
When it came to features, Nero Burning ROM was the winner hands down, with its vast array of options and media supported. Prassi PrimoCD Plus on the other hand had lots of options to help with CD mastering also, but just didn’t offer as many. Also included with the CD version of Nero Burning ROM was the very nice NeroMedia Player for MP3, WAV, and VQF formats and, with the optional plug-in, does MP3 conversion on the fly directly to a CD-RW drive. All three programs support drag and drop sessions, while Nero and Prassi offered more information on your disk and progress than Easy Creator. Prassi PrimoCD Plus loaded the quickest of all the programs and the actual interface was probably the cleanest of the three. Nero Burning ROM is a bit intimidating to the novice when it first comes up if the wizard is not selected, with all of its many features and options. Primo just looked so clean and easy to use that it's not obvious that it too is loaded with features and options on a slightly smaller scale. Hats off to the developers for keeping Prassi PrimoCD Plus clean and simple.
Picking a clear winner was tough, but this article wouldn’t be a shootout without a clear winner. So without further hesitation we have selected Nero Burning ROM. It just has too much of what makes a great program, great--from its easy to use interface, consistent recording, tons of options, and extra included programs to its great technical support. Prassi PrimoCD Plus definitely deserves an honorable mention, though, and came in such a close second that we lost a little sleep trying to decide between the two. Easy CD Creator gets the job done also, but was more like an included software package instead of a full retail program, and lacked many of the features that came with the others.
