Astroburn Lite 2.0.0.0205

Overview

There are many burning software to choose from, some with too many features, others too expensive and some that are just not reliable enough. Astroburn Lite is a very simple program designed to burn data or image files to CDs, DVDs or Blu-ray discs quickly and without problems. Home PC users can get it for free, since you only have to pay a small amount of money if you want to use it for commercial purposes.

Installation

The setup is not very different than a typical software installation. It will ask you to choose the type of license you prefer, Paid or Free. Then you are prompted to pick if you want to install desktop and start menu shortcuts. After that you’re asked if you want to install Linkury Community Smartbar and make Babylon default search engine and homepage on your browsers. The installation begins right after that last step and finishes very fast.

Supported operating systems are Windows XP, 2003, Vista, Server 2008 and 7.

Interface

Old-looking, outdated and complicated is not what you would use to describe its interface. It has a medium-sized window with modern buttons and graphics, which is split into two tabs; one to burn files and one to burn images. On the left you can see some information about the disc you have inserted into the drive, and below that you select burning device and write speed. When you click the “Start” button located at the bottom the process will begin.

From the settings menu you can’t change much, but you are able to change the language and the skin, choosing between many available ones.

Pros

Astroburn Lite can burn both data and images files, in contrast to some burning applications. Moreover, it’s not hard to use at all. You only have to insert the disc in the drive (it can be CD, DVD or Blu-ray), choose the files or the image you want to burn and start burning. There are a few more features too, for example it gives you details and a graphical chart of the size distribution in the disc. You can also view all the installed recorders and pick which one you want to use, as well as select the desired write speed and if you’d like to run a test burn before actually burning to disc.

Cons

We tested this product thoroughly, and the results were very pleasant. It had no problems before, during or after the burning task.

Alternatives

ImgBurn is a lightweight burning application with support for a wide range of image file types. It is simple yet effective. All the essential tools plus other features make it one of the best free burning software available. CDBurnerXP is another free and valuable program that serves the same purpose, which also comes with a command line version.

Conclusion

If you want a program that will just burn data and image files conveniently and without spending money on a product that has countless features that you will rarely (or perhaps never) use, then Astroburn Lite is what you need. It clearly deserves a chance, so don’t hesitate to give it a try.