In-House Software Review: CD Mate

[Boone]

Hot on the heels of a hardware review comes a change up: a software review. Yes, these only come along once for every 10 hardware reviews, but they're still special in their own way.

CD Mate is a burning package that combines an excellent mastering interface with above average disc copy skills and a fully functional MP3 encoder. The review is from a version that's currently in late beta, but now you'll have something to look forward to. Have I piqued your interest? If so, take a look at our take on <a href="http://www.cdrlabs.com/reviews/index.php?reviewid=107">CD Mate</a>.

[Boone]

Anyone else using CD Mate?

[Han]

I prefer WinOnCD. CD Mate's user interface is similar to Nero's, which is still half as user friendly and easy to use as WinOnCD.

Personally I think CDRLabs' review scores are a bit too high, looking at software and hardware tests. There's still much space for improvements...

[Boone]

Since I live in North America, I've never seen WinOnCD. Therefore I'm unable to make any comparisons. If Roxio wishes to change that it's up to them. Of course they won't since Easy CD Creator is their flagship product.

There's many ways to score software, and Ian and I have gone around and around on this. Do you compare it to everything else out there? ie Do you dock CD Mate points because it has no Audio Editor like Nero? Maybe a little. I gave CD Mate a 9 for features partly because of that, and partly because I've seen better label design software.

I score software against itself. Just like it's unfair to judge a 32x drive against a 16x drive, I'm not down with putting all software on the same level. CD Mate is close to CDRWin which it currently stomps all over, but it doesn't have the features of NTI, Nero, or Click'N Burn. Therefore I have to look at CD Mate and figure out if it could have done something better. Is there a better way to master a disc? Is there a better way to rip audio discs to MP3? It's very hard to say. IMHO, and that's what these scores really are, CD Mate does a hell of a job doing what it does. I can't apoligize for that.

Again, if Roxio wants to send me WinOnCD (I'm not flying to England to get it), I can stack it against everything else I've looked at. Until that happens, this is where it's at.

[Ian]

You'd have to fly to Germany...

Han I agree about the scores being too high. I've sort of gotten myself into a bind with it. I'm thinking of a way to start scoring lower without causing too many problems.

[Han]

I partially agree. But, if you find a program that suits YOU almost perfectly doesn't necessarily mean it will cover, for instance, the majority of anyone else's needs. And even if it does, it's important HOW it does it.

It seems fair to judge the program against itself, but in order to do it right, you have to be critical enough to say: hey, this could be done a better way... Well, I guess I'm a little spoiled or "overdemanding".

Unfortunately Roxio doesn't want to spread WinOnCD outside Europe. They're so selfish they refuse to translate the installation in English...

I'm not in the mood for another "struggle" (Nero's review press). It's just my opinion that none of the burning programs deserves a perfect 10. Even CloneCD and CDRWIN, which do its job extremely well, have space for improvements.

[Boone]

I'm not looking for a struggle, I'm looking for differing points of views. I'm not 100% set in my ways... I am interested in what others think. Besides, if you make enough sense and I can get behind what you say, you've got a good point.

Part of what I hate about my job is that I don't get to see every burning package out there, and I'm not about to scour Morpheus or some other file sharing system to obtain them illegally. My opinions should be taken as that... opinions. I mention in each reviews about how I can't compare certain packages because I've never used them, so I do add that disclaimer.