Did you know: Nero - Free Version

I just noticed that Nero have today released a free version of their burning software. Unlike the full version it is limited to data burning and disc copying features for CDs and DVDs but it's not time limited like the trial version. This version might be interesting for those who think that the complete Nero suite is too bloated.

That could come in really handy, thanks Liggy ...for instance, on my mum's PC (where I'm trying to keep things to a minimum so as not to confuse ).

Hmmm.
55MB download for a very basic Nero "free" (you pay with receiving advertising from them) vs. 2,1 MB for the more feature-loaded and versatile ImgBurn.

No more questions

Michael

No, I didn't know. Thanks for the heads-up!

It's still quite bloated; from the System Requirements:

...and that's for a tool that only copies discs and burns data discs!

Did everyone forget about Nero Essentials and Nero Express?

Ahead has always bundled a free version of their software with drive purchases, so this is only sort of new.

The full version of Nero 9 was pretty bloated and horrendous, and received lots of criticism. I think this is a form of damage control.

Do not get rid of your copies of Nero 7 or 8 Essentials just yet. This Nero 9 Free might not be that great of a deal.

Nero Express and Essentials was never free. The price (much less than 10 €) was included in the drive's price.
You could also buy such a version from some retailers separately. (I even remember a copy of Nero Express 6.6 that came on the add-on CD of a computer magazine here in Germany)

Michael
I know, on the box of the drive there was a big sticker "with FREE Nero"

True. I'm gonna give this free version a go, and if not up to snuff, then Nero 7 essentials (which I actually quite liked, but not the full version of 7) will be installed on my mum's PC (she's due a format anyway, so I'll give it a go beforehand).

The price differential between a retail boxed drive with Nero and an OEM drive without it is usually only about $5.00 USD. You then have to account for the packaging, marketing, IDE or SATA cable, and slim printed manual before you figure out how much the bundled Nero cost. At most, it was about $2-$3 added to the price, which in my mind, is essentially free.

Plus, some retailers, like NewEgg in the states, would often bundle Nero with OEM drives that weren't supposed to come with any software at all. The inclusion or exclusion of Nero had no effect on the price of the OEM drive, so in those cases, it was definitely and absolutely free.

I agree, if we replace "free" with "super cheap"

I also agree to this:

Or use Imgburn instead.
That Nero "free" seems to be massively crippled, from what I read in german forums.

Michael

Yes, in fact, Nero Free is more crippled than Nero Essentials. In Nero Essentials, you get the same classic interface as in the full Nero, so there's nothing to re-learn or annoy you. Not so with Nero Free. Here's a quote I'm pulling from alt.comp.freeware:

"I much prefer the clean Nero Express interface. Their StartSmart is
designed for boobs and just delays me getting to the burner program.
Also, in this free version, all the tabs (Rip and Burn, Create and Edit,
Home Entertainment, and Back Up) are merely prods to buy their payware
version. None of that functionality is included in the free version yet
they shove their StartSmart UI in your face to push their lures at you.
I looked in their install folder and found no other executable than
their startsmart.exe file (and their upgrade program if you decide to
buy their program). With their StartSmart UI being nothing more than a
big adware UI (by leaving all the non-functional tabs), I consider the
whole free version of Nero 9 to be adware. There is just too much
"upgrade" (pay us) litter in their StartSmart UI. You can't even get
rid of their yellow prattle toolbar at the bottom of the window."

So, this is basically a piece of adware crap, and you shouldn't look at it as a replacement for Nero Essentials.

I've been using Nero 7 Essentials for years now and like it a lot...I downloaded this free version of Nero 9 and I'm totally lost...how do you set the burner speed you want?...I only see the option to set it to 'Minimum', 'Safe Mode', 'Automatic' and 'Maximum'...how can I manually set the speed I want (8x, 12x etc)?

is this version the same as Nero 9 Essentials?

Apart from a bunch of OEM versions that cam with burners, I have a full retail version of Nero 6, and on my laptop I have Nero 7 essentials (got a free upgrade from Nero 6 OEM to Nero 7 Essentials from Samsung). But for most burning tasks, I am using ImgBurn.
No, it's totally crippled down.
Stick with your Nero 7 Essentials and pair it with ImgBurn for some more special burn tasks.

Michael

but how do I set set the write speed with this free version?...is it not possible?...does the Nero 9 Essentials package allow you to specify the burn speed?

In the right hand corner there is a pic of a hammer. Click on it. There are four speeds Minimum, Safe, Automatic and Maximum.

Anyone knows how it determines the speed of 'Safe' and 'Automatic'? Couldn't find it in the Nero 9 guide/manual.

Bump...

You can't.

that's terrible!!...I want to be able to control the exact speed of my burns...Nero 7 (which I'm currently using) allows this along with all older versions of Nero...what's the point in testing the quality of your burns using CD-DVD Speed etc if you cannot use those results to apply the perfect burn speed for your system?

what burn speed does 'Safe Mode' and 'Automatic' even refer to?

what an absolutely horrible move by Nero...guess I'll be sticking with Nero 7 forever then

compared to image burn I'm not sure why one would bother with this app...good to know about though.

ImgBurn The Ultimate Image Burner!

Free is Free and you get what you pay for.

Then every once in a great while something comes along like ImgBurn and the sun shines on the entire burning world.

Thanks LUK

Arachne,do your mom a favour,and keep that adware as far as you can from her.......
There are freewares around that have an easy learning curve(like InfraRecorder) that do a better job .....

Nero 9 Free is a crippled program that has NOTHING to do with ANY version of Nero Essentials or the full Nero. This is just a piece of adware that they're giving away, but it doesn't change anything for the other programs.

If you are able to obtain a copy of Nero 8 Essentials or Nero 9 Essentials, then those programs will work normally. It's only this "free" downloadable version that is useless.

There's no need to get excited or upset. Nero Free is irrelevant. It's just a marketing gimmick. Ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist.

but will Nero 9 Essentials or even the full version of Nero 9 give me the ability to choose my exact burn speed?...that's what I'm most concerned about...I don't care about the free version etc...all I want is the ability to manually choose the exact speed of my burn (8x, 12x etc) and not have to choose between some pre-selected options in which I have no idea what burn speed they correspond to (Automatic, Optimal etc)

Yes.

And if you don't care about the free version, then you should stay out of this thread, because it's only causing you confusion.