I often work from my netbook when I travel and the worst thing about the little machine is that it lacks an optical drive. I still get handed CDs and DVDs with information on them that I can't access on the little machine. There are also many ultraportable notebooks on the market that lack optical drives as well. This is an issue for many users who want to watch movies and be able to access software and other content on discs.

Samsung has unveiled a new and very portable external DVD drive that can burn to CD and DVD media at fast speeds, and is small enough to fit in most any laptop bag or briefcase. The little optical drive is called the SE-S084F DVD Writer. It has WriteMaster technology for multitasking on the PC and high-speed media writing on slower computers. The machine also has Buffer Under Run Tech to prevent errors.

The optical drive will work with Mac or PC computers and has special Tilt Actuator Compensation Technology to use all the disc area. The little drive is so power efficient that it can get the connectivity it needs and power from a single USB cable. The burner is available to purchase right now with an MSRP of $59.99. I did see the thing online for $49.99 today making it a very good deal if you really need an optical drive that is easy to take with you.