The considerable bulk of external disc burners limits their usefuless to laptop users, often turning the drives into extensions of a home setup rather than portable tools. This may change with a new optical drive from Plextor. The PX-608CU drive will be the world's smallest DVD writer, according to its manufacturer. At 0.6 inches high and 8.8 ounces in weight, the new writer is compact enough to be carried alongside a laptop without consuming significantly more space. It is powered completely through the USB 2 interface, obviating the need for a separate power cable, and can burn dual-layer DVDs in addition to a maximum 8X single-layer recording speed. Shipments of the PX-608CU begin in October for an undetermined price.