This is a recent purchase for me and the drive hasn’t seen a lot of use yet. If any additional positives or negatives arise, I will be sure to update this review at a later date.
This drive seems to work well so far, and stands out for a couple of reasons. 1) It is one of the few that I have seen, that includes an additional USB connection in the event that your computer cannot supply enough power from a single USB. If this option is available on some of the many look-alike products online, it is neither shown or mentioned, so the Roofull stands out from the pack. 2) I am a big fan of the drive being offered with a protective case that is made to fit and holds the drive, the paperwork and the extra USB cable (the primary cable is built-in). 3) This one is two-fold. One has no reason to speak to Tech Support unless there is some sort of issue. I will get to that momentarily. However, I do want to say that Roofull seems to take their Tech Support seriously and actually got back to me quickly with an answer to my question (something the bigger companies are not always so good at in my personal experience). This certainly goes a long way with me! 4) The drive itself is simple to use and straightforward, with one small exception that is entirely Microsoft’s fault and does not reflect negatively upon Roofull in any way. That is, that Windows no longer provides free software for burning or playing. Free software can be found, and Roofull includes a short list of recommendations. The drive itself simply plugs in and works with whatever software you own (the same can be said for all brands). 5) An extended 2 year warranty is offered to all customers who register for it (a nice feature)! 6) Like many companies these days (mainly restaurants in my experience), Roofull offers a ‘reward’ for writing a review. I can only assume this applies to ALL reviews whether positive or negative. However, I did want to mention it, because people are given an incentive to write their reviews. This could be seen as a positive or a negative I suppose, but to me it’s a wise way to grow your company by word of mouth. Take it for what you will.
Now on to a few negatives and minor gripes (I mean CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK)…
First of all, I want to mention that the drive I’m reviewing is actually the 2nd one I received. The first drive had some issues playing DVDs and was originally set to the wrong Region (2 vs 1). Changing the region was simple, but the drive still didn’t function. Amazon took care of it and I didn’t bother Roofull with any questions at this point. Issues happen sometimes, not a dealbreaker for any company as long as it’s handled appropriately- and it was.
Now on to this drive…
1) While this drive does come with the additional micro USB to standard cable for boosting the power, I do want to voice a small gripe. The micro USB end is not standard and any micro USB will simply not work. Because of the thickness of the drive casing, Roofull had to make the micro USB connection to stick-out farther from the cable’s insulation than usual. The cable they give you works just fine (although it is a bit short), but if it goes missing, you’ll need to get ahold of them for another. The standard USB for connecting and powering, however, is built-in and not a problem.
2) When I was dealing with the first, defective drive, I noticed that the manual states that the drive is not designed for playing discs, and that doing so could cause damage to both the disc and drive. “Well what’s the point then”, I thought! Apparently the manual is saying that this disc drive is unable to play-back entire CDs or DVDs. When reading the specifications on Amazon, this is clearly not an issue according to Roofull. So the question was whether or not the advertisement or the manual were incorrect. To answer this, I contacted Roofull. Roofull did respond quickly and informed me that playing discs on this drive would not be a problem. I’ll take them at their word, but also registered for the Warranty (which I would have done anyway). So my gripe here, is that the manual doesn’t match their advertising, nor their Tech Support suggestions. I strongly think Roofull needs to address this discrepancy.
3) For a company that wants to stand out from the pack and is willing to offer rewards for honest reviews….
In searching for drives, the Roofull was ONE of an innumerable quantity of other brands who sported the same exact drive casing and appearance. The only visual difference I could find, was the additional USB port (mentioned above). Whether or not these other drives are, in reality, the same drive, is beyond me. The drive seems to work well and has what I’m looking for in a drive. However, IF Roofull is different, and their Tech Support and Rewards program seems to point to that, than I highly recommend they find a ‘look all their own’ because putting your name on the case everyone else is using, just looks like re-branding, rather than having your own special product. Just a thought Roofull!
Again. Thus far, I’m more than satisfied with the product. I will post any changes as time goes by.
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