ZenDrive V1M External DVD Drive and Writer with Built-in Cable-Storage Design, USB-C Interface, Compatible with Win 11 and macOS, M-DISC Support (SDRW-08V1M-U)

Bought a new laptop (LG Gram 17 inch 2022 32RAM 2TB) and I wanted to buy an external disc reader/writer for my library of well-preserved physical Rosetta Stone collections I've bought over the years. This worked perfectly for my needs. It works with Windows 11, is nice and compact, and stays in place very well. It doesn't move at all when switching out discs during installs. Easy to re-package and store safely in its original box until needed. I don't use it for anything other than what I explained above. However, if I did need it for any other purpose I'm confident it will complete the task. Price not too bad. Nice looking design, I like that the cord can store away, because as I said, I don't have it out except when I need to use it for a specific purpose. Very satisfied. Another quality ASUS product.

I wanted/needed a peripheral DVD/CD player for my Windows 11 laptops in order to rip and/or burn audio CDs. So far I've set this player up with two separate laptops running Win 11 and it's working perfectly. There is no setup wizard, or software you have to load. (The software included on the accompanying CD-ROM is just bloatware and should be avoided.) Another reviewer had a very helpful comment, namely that when you first connect the player via USB-C and absolutely nothing happens, don't worry. It comes to life once you insert a CD. From there, via File -> Open Audio CD, you can choose to play or rip audio. For the rip selection it gives you an option to specify settings for the rip. Really handy. So far the ripping has worked flawlessly with both laptops. I haven't yet attempted to burn any CDs, but I don't have reason to believe it will be an issue considering its performance so far. I'll probably update this review when I do, but so far a full five stars. BTW - the title of this review might leave the reader wondering if the unit works with Windows 10. The answer is I don't know as I no longer have any Windows 10 machines. I've read in the past that Windows 10 was not so compatible with external DVD/CD drives, thus I never bothered trying on those. Your mileage may vary with this unit on Win 10. One last comment. . . The unit is light and seems a little delicate. I'm not knocking it for that. Just don't drop it or bang it around as it's not built like a tank. If you treat it well, it will treat you well. ===================================== Feb 2026 Update. I switched to Linux after Windows 11 imploded with bloatware and privacy concerns. The great news is that this drive works extremely well with Linux Mint. I've probably burned about 20 CDs with this drive on Mint, and all but one were flawless. I had one problem finalizing a disc (using k3b software for all of them) and I'm not sure if it was the software or hardware. Some permission issue. I resolved it and it finally worked on that one too. Point is, every CD that was burned was absolutely perfect - no glitches, skips or other problems during playback. I actually bought a second drive as a backup as this thing is too good to be true. Highly recommended!

Newer laptops don’t have disk drives anymore. Received a new Surface Pro for Christmas. I burn disks for keeping important files. After reading reviews from many reputable sources I settled on this. It works quickly, efficiently and easily. It appears cheaply made and you can definitely think it’s weak but you will be fooled as I was. Reputable manufacturer. The only thing I am not a fan of is the tiny button on the front that pops open the drawer; you still must manually open it further, then watch that you don’t hit the button by accident when you close the drawer. Other than that, it is nice and lightweight and I love the way the USB-C cord stores within the corner of the drive case. I am using Windows 11.

This thing is amazing. For how cheap it is, it does exactly everything I need. It copies my music CDs, it plays DVDs, and it requires no drivers. I have a 2025 MacBook Air M4 15”. People say it’s fragile, but it’s just like every other disc drive. I’ve been using disc players since 1992 and had the 1996 Magnavox portable CD player. It “feels” flimsy, because it cost $20. Having the hidden USB-C cord was an absolute gem of an idea. Noise levels: it’s as noisy as any other disc player I have ever used. It has no internal stabilizer or inertial dampen system. If you want all those bells and whistles, you going to spend $100+ of a disc driver. You might as well just buy their Blu-Ray burner at that price. For how tiny it is, it’s phenomenal. It’s thinner than my MacBook Air. I haven’t tried to burn CDs or DVDs yet, so I can’t speak on that parts. All I know is that it rips CDs without fail. Maybe if I get my music collection back I can make a meme CD and put it in a museum.

As other reviewers noted, disks won’t show up on Mac out of the box. I have an M1 MacBook Pro. But as long as you have a Windows computer, the manufacturer has a firmware update on their site for this model. Update takes 10 seconds. Then it worked perfectly on my Mac. I only plan to use this drive to read data, not write, so I can only speak to that — but so far flawless.

Easy to use, lightweight and it does what it has to do.

Not compatible with MacOs 26 and macbook air. Description says it was. Thats why i bought it. Also bundles software is windows only . It is a bummer. Because it is stylish, pretty, compact and beautiful, i may have to return it cuz i rarely use my windows laptop

Instantly recognized by Windows 11, have burned 10 Wedding DVDs (R+) so far, no errors or complaints

Very good external DVD/CD drive. Very compact, very light (all plastic) and a kinda neat ‘pocket’ to stash the usb-c cord. Few things I’ve noticed after using it for a few days… 1) it is so light you need to hold it down firmly when closing the tray 2) I find it better to use 2 fingers/thumbs to close the tray 3) sometimes gets a bit loud as the media spins Still, I really like it and it works very well.

Excellent product

The unit was delivered quickly. It was easy to set up via USB-C connection using the supplied disk. Windows 11 compatible.

En excelente estado físico y muy útil para grabar clases y guardar en discos, audiencias de juicios y otros videos para liberar espacio en disco de computadoras así como para pasar la música a formato digital. Contento hasta ahorita con la compra a reservas de futuras experiencias esperando que tenga largs vida con sus respectivos cuidados.

Item Arrived In Good Order. Delivery Arrived 4 Days ahead of schedule. Delivery should have put my parcel into the Riser another art