CDBurnerXP Editor's Review

Small, free and ready to use, this is how CDBurnerXP is like. Whether you have to burn or record a CD, DVD, HD-DVD or Blu-Ray disc, with CDBurnerXP you can achieve that easily. Besides its main feature of burning all kinds of optical discs, with CDBurnerXP you can also save any files or folders compilation into an ISO image or convert any other image format (.bin or .nrg) into a standard ISO file.

The program is based on a single and basic main interface separated into three different windows. On the left side you have the tree navigation list, on the right the content display and on the bottom the content disc. A simple drag and drop from the content display window to the content disc window is enough to complete the loading operation of a data disc. The good thing here is that it doesn't matter what type of project you have chosen at the launch of the application (data disc, audio disc), any type of image (ISO, NRG, BIN, etc) will be detected and a notification window will be displayed with the right options to choose from.

With CDBurnerXP you can also copy discs directly from any external memory device without the need of using your local hard drive. In this way you will not leave any traces on your computer. Although there is something weird about CDBurnerXP functionality. Each action is displayed in a launch window which will be closed by the application itself once you have chosen that needed one. In case you have started a copy disc session and you want to go back and start a burning session, you have to restart the application.

Despite its small and basic concept, CDBurnerXP is a powerful burning tool that offers the same important features like Ashampoo Burning Studio or Nero Burning Rom. The only difference here is that you don't have to pay $49.99 to get it and there are no annoying toolbars or other additional multimedia tools that have nothing to do with the actual burning process.

Pluses: small, free, intuitive buttons, offers lots of detailed info about the discs and the optical device you are using, customizable writing type, full ISO support;

Drawbacks/flaws: old-school interface, there is no way you can go back to the launching window once you have started any process;

In conclusion: CDBurnerXP is a free and powerful burning tool, an already desirable application that can easily overtake with its features similar other products.

version reviewed: 4.3.8.2523