> I didn't want to buy just any CD drive because I want to rip these CDs as accurately as possible. Ripping software like EAC or whipper do verify, using an on

> I didn't want to buy just any CD drive because I want to rip these CDs as accurately as possible. Ripping software like EAC or whipper do verify, using an online DB of rips, that your rip is 100% bitperfect. So ripping "as accurately as possible" ain't a concern: your rip is either 100% correct, bit for bit, or it's not and you should start over. If you're on Windows use EAC while if you're on Linux, use whipper. I use whipper and it's nowadays stock on many Linux distros (Fedora, Debian, etc.). > but then I'll finally be able to throw out all these CDs. Well I think that legally you need to keep the CDs if you want to keep your rips (it may depend on the country but in Europe you're allowed to rip CDs you physically own).