DVD Media questions about T42P / Multiburner

[Marc_G]

Hi folks-

Short version: is there any good reason to buy DVD-RAM media instead of DVD-R media? Are either bootable in the T42P?

Long version:

In a couple days I should have a new T42P 2373-HTU with Multiburner. ).

I'm looking forward to being able to burn DVDs, even if the Multiburner is slow (not looking to restart the arguments about utility). Just went to my local Staples store to pick up media for it, as the first thing I want to do is burn a recovery image (the computer is being set up by my corporate folks with company applications that I don't have the abiltiy to re-install if I screw something up).

So, silly me, I forgot to check which sort of media the Multiburner writes. I remembered it was one or the other (+R or -R) so I bought a box of each and will return the wrong one, which I now looked up will be the +R going back.

I didn't see any DVD-RAM media there, but maybe I missed it. From a practical perspective, is DVD-RAM useful? I've never been a fan of the CD packet writing schemes. I've always had great results at first, luring me in, followed by a tragic failure, and have stopped using that. Never had a problem with regular CD-R or CD-RW.

Next question: Does anyone know if Drive Image (the last version) writes to the DVD-R Multiburner when DI is running in "DOS" mode? I'd like to boot up Drive Image from a memory key and have it create and burn to DVD a backup image while I get lunch... Drive image hasn't been updated since Symantec bought Powerquest.

Thanks in advance.

Marc

[csv96]

The current Multi-Burner can write DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM. It can only read DVD+R and DVD+RW. DVD-RAM acts as another hard drive on your computer (i.e. you can drag and drop files and folders, open and edit files without any additional software).

The T42's come with IBM's Rescue and Recovery software in the bios that you can use to create recovery images and recovery CD's.

[Marc_G]

Thanks Csv!

As a followup, I've read a bunch of threads here about R&R and I'm not sure if I want to use it versus Drive Image or Ghost. In particular one thread described having to use a CD as the bootable media, with the actual image being put onto a DVD. This seemed odd.

So, are DVD's bootable? Or is that not supported?

Marc