LightScribe , invented by HP and then spin off , uses a special laser built into your drive to eviscerate images and text onto a thin dye - base coat on the non - data side of a LightScribe platter . Just insert a LightScribe disc , data side up , into the drive and use the included LaCie LightScribe Labeler software to produce your own custom , monochrome label etch onto the surface of the disc . The drive sense if the disc is inserted decent ; it wo n’t attempt to take out on the data side of the disc and it wo n’t essay to draw on non - LightScribe medium . Since LightScribe need specific hardware , the engineering science has to be built into the drives by the maker — ascent to survive model are not available . LaCie is sell LightScribe capable 8x + R DVD media for about $ 2.50 a magnetic disk . ( Comparable inkjet printable medium is uncommitted for between 50 cent and $ 1.00 per disc . ) you may also utilize the ride to burn non - LightScribe discs .
The technology is cool , but there is a tradeoff : the new effort is considerably slow than the winner of the aforementioned roundup . rat at 2.4x for double layer + gas constant burns , the LightScribe parkway took nearly 20 mo longer to burn up 8 GB of information to dual - layer sensitive than the 4x rate , non - LightScribe model . The single - layer , DVD - roentgen write speeds are also slow , 8x versus the 16x speeds of the late success . And the LightScribe labeling process is time consuming . It took 22 minutes to impress one of the included label template . LightScribe has annunciate that a barren software package / firmware update will be usable soon that promises to cut printing process time in one-half .
The crusade has two FireWire 400 connectors ( no USB ) , an outside power brick , and includes a full edition of Toast Titanium 6.0 . A drive with USB 2.0 , one FireWire 400 port and the Light version of Toast be $ 20 less .
Macworld’s Buying Advice
This first LightScribe enable videodisc drive for the Mac sport all of the latest engineering science , dual - layer electrocution , and LightScribe mark printing , and cost only $ 10 more than LaCie ’s non - LightScribe thrust . Once they eliminate the speed tradeoff ( slow suntan and print stop number ) this driving force will be much more attractive .
