Roxio's Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum

Creating your own CDs never simpler

It may seem absurd, yet I was so plunged into exploring the new features of Easy CD Creator 5, the new CD burner software from Roxio, that had coffee actually poured from my screen I would hardly have been surprised.
Digital music and the hype surrounding Napster have certainly contributed to the increased demand for CD-burning software of recent years. Most computers in stores at the present moment are already equipped with a drive capable of not only reading, but recording CDs as well. Such devices are currently considered practically a standard feature of any configuration available on the market. They are divided in CD-R (Recordable), capable of a single recording; and CD-RW (ReWritable), capable of rewriting a single CD several times. Often, they are offered together with a basic burning software, but if one wants to explore all options available, the purchase of a pro-package is advised.
Roxio's (a spin-off of Adaptec) Easy CD Creator 5 Platinum for Windows PC is one of the possible options. To define it as merely CD burning software seems almost unfair when one thinks of the infinite amount of options offered by the software. The package consists of several applications each presenting distinct characteristics and all linked by a single graphic interface. Maybe the best starting point for an introduction to the software is the SoundStream feature, which is an easy way to make CDs from MP3 files, analogue sources, other CDs and more. Those who wish to create something more sophisticated should look to Easy CD Creator, which is probably the most important application within the software package. It offers advanced features such as transition effects useful for creating professional-sounding music CDs, and is also capable of producing data CDs for sharing or archiving purposes.
Another application is Direct CD, which allows one to write a CD by moving files in the same manner in which data is stored and saved onto a floppy disk. Direct CD will format the disk selected for recording data and once this task has been completed it will be possible to save files from any program onto the disk.
Those wishing to create backup copies of their hard drive will find Take Two useful. Take Two is an intuitive application which allows you to backup your data in a safe place. Meanwhile, CD copier will make copies of your CD, be they musical CDs or data storage disks.
Those who are not all that interested in music may still be conquered by the Photo Relay application, capable of organizing your photos into albums and recording them onto a CD. Furthermore, the Video CD Creator can burn your favourite MPEG videos onto a CD so that you may play them even on a DVD player. Video presentations can be created with VideoImpression following a few simple steps. Finally, with CD Label Creator custom designed labels can be created and easily printed by any printer and Sound Editor, with which it is possible to record and modify WAV files.
Do not let the sheer amount of applications available scare you since making a CD has never been so simple. The secret certainly lies in the program's clear graphic interface, which guides the user step-by-step and ensures he or she chooses the correct application for any given purpose. The large buttons vaguely resemble those presented by Apple in its new interface "Aqua" included in Mac OS X and they allow the user to create CDs without uncertainties. The entire installation process normally requires less than five minutes and after a restart (always recommended) the software is ready. My laptop completely froze once, but aside from that the performance seemed excellent and in little time I was capable of creating a digital photo album with ease.
Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 sells for $99 USD but without a doubt the money is well spent. When creating CDs, whatever your needs may be, Easy CD Creator will certainly have what you're looking for. Perhaps coffee will not pour from the screen, but you can count on everything else.

Publication Date: 2001-09-30
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=436