If you can deal with slightly less buffer memory, then the environmentally friendly software and additional features with this drive make it an excellent choice. Access time with this drive is great, with DVD-ROM access at 150ms, which is slightly slower than the DRW-24B1ST but still great. It has a 1.5MB memory buffer, which isn't as good as the DRW-24B1ST from ASUS but is still excellent. These utilities monitor when you're using the drive, and when you're not it can 'power down' to save you money on your electric bill and reduce power draw by your computer.
One great aspect of this model is that ASUS includes a lot of environmental software with it. For CDs, it can read and write at 48x speed, which is pretty much the same as many other models on the market. This burner has a maximum write speed for DVDs of 24x, though you'll probably use it closer to 12x, and a maximum speed of 12x when burning to a dual-layer disc. In some respects, this model is almost comparable to the DRW-24B1ST from ASUS, but that other model remains superior in certain key ways.
