Product Reviews

External hard disks and DVD writers are an easy way of adding more storage to notebooks or other computers that don't have enough room inside their cases to accommodate more internal drives. However, adding a lot of external devices can take up space on your desk and also creates a rat's nest of USB and power cables.

ATMT's large and chunky DW567 may look like a gadget from the Batcave, but it's actually a USB DVD writer, hard disk and memory card reader, all put together inside a single case. There's even a USB port for connecting USB flash drives. Best of all, it needs only a single USB cable and mains adaptor.

The 160GB hard disk did well in our small files test, reading and writing data at a rate of 9.9MB/s. It wasn't particularly quick reading and writing large files at 25.42MB/s, but unless you regularly copy vast amounts of data, such as DV footage, it should be fast enough for everyday use. We were disappointed with the DW567fs slow DVD writer, though. It couldn't match its stated 16X, but managed to write a DVD-R in

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just over six minutes, which works out at a respectable 9.28X. Unfortunately, it was very slow writing DVD+R discs, taking a leisurely 14 minutes and eight seconds. Its two-layer performance wasn't much better. It managed to fill a DVD+R DL disc in 25 minutes and five seconds, which is just half its stated 8X. It did come close to matching its stated 4X for DVD-R DL discs however, coming in at 3.69X.

The software bundle includes all the necessities. Ahead's Nero Express 6.6 is provided for burning discs and PowerDVD 6 is included for watching DVDs. It is possible to open up the case and upgrade the PATA hard disk and DVD writer with newer models in future. Replacing the hard disk only requires sliding off the DW567fs top cover, removing a pair of screws and disconnecting the PATA and Molex cables. However, extracting the DVD writer is a fiddly process with several deeply embedded screws and a tightly spaced access hatch all getting in the way. At least an illustrated installation booklet is provided.

The memory card reader supports the most common memory card formats, although the smallest types such as xD, Transflash and Memory Stick Pro Duo aren't catered for. The reader's slim but non-standard design means it cannot be upgraded as easily as the other components.

The DW567 may have a bulky case, but it reduces cable clutter. Unfortunately, it's not good value. A separate USB DVD writer, 250GB external hard disk and memory card reader can be bought for around £125 with a quicker DVD writer and larger hard disk. We cannot recommend the DW567 unless you desperately need to conserve space on your desk.