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Starting with this version of Ashampoo Burning Studio (version 9.05, as of this writing), this product is finally actually better in just about every way than Roxio, and will easily stand-up to Nero. It's unbelievable how far it has come. There's a feature-reduced version called "Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009" that can be had for free out on the Internet if one knows where to dig around for it. Even that is almost as good as (or, in some areas, maybe even better than) certainly Roxio. So good is just the freeware "Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009" that in my opinion, PC makers like HP, Gateway and Dell (and all others) should immediately stop inflicting feature-reduced, bloatware versions of Roxio and/or Nero onto its users, and include the installer (for those who'd like it, as an option) for "Ashampoo Burning Studio 2009". It's that good. The higher-end "Ashampoo Burning Studio 9.x" product has finally, in my opinion, become best-of-breed among products of its type. Nero has gotten so huge and unwieldy; and Roxio can't decide what it wants to be and has gotten even more out of control. But "Ashampoo Burning Studio 9.x" knows exactly what it's trying to be, and does so with aplomb. Everything's built-in to one program. No games. No multiple executables. All-in-one... ...and boy-oh-boy is it ever potent. Among the commercial products of its type, this is the one to pick. Disclaimer: I know my review, here, is enthusiastic; but I promise that I am not an employee of, friend of, lackie of, shill for, or am in any other way related to or benefit from Ashampoo and/or any of its products. Truth is, I'd much prefer it if one or more of the freeware products out there were as good as "Ashampoo Burning Studio." But none quite are... though I admit that I do love "ImgBurn" and even "CD Burner XP," just generally. At any rate, my enthusiasm has nothing to do with any kind of relationship between me and Ashampoo. Some of its products are good, and some suck. I just happen to think that they did this product right, and I wouldn't mind a bit if the world started using it instead of such as Nero or Roxio.
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