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CD Recording FAQ
2. The CD Recorder
2.8. Internal and external drives
A cd recorder can be an internal or external device. IDE recorders are internal, but can be converted to external drives using a proper enclosure, while all internal SCSI drives can be converted into external SCSI ones using an external SCSI case for one or more SCSI drives (the same is true for FireWire drives as well).
The decision between an internal and an external drive usually depends
upon the need for portability. If you need to move the recorder around,
connecting it to different machines, and are prepared to cope with the
extra cables and power supply, then an external drive has to be preferred.
Other than that, there is no reason to prefer an external drive, except
if you have to connect it to a laptop.
At this point it must be noted that an external drive can be powered on only when needed, thus consuming less power and generating less heat, which can prolong its life, especially if it is properly cooled. However, a drive in need of such a consideration is usually one of bad quality and design. Furthermore, a drive properly placed on a PC case can be mechanically more stable.
Anyway, if you are in need of an external drive there are many choices. The PCMCIA option is expensive but noteworthy for laptop owners, and needs a free PCMCIA port. The FireWire option is very attractive, though not too common, while the parallel port option has been surpussed by modern techology advance. USB drives are elegant and easy to plug into every modern computer, despite their software installation problems, and SCSI drives carry all the advantages of their superior interface, though they obviously need a SCSI controller.
So, when it comes to external drives, the choice is most often limited
to USB and SCSI recorders. The first enjoy instant connectivity requiring
a so common USB port, the latter enjoy speed and broader support on SCSI
equiped machines. FireWire drives are also attractive, but don't enjoy
the wide support enjoyed by SCSI.