The unit is very compact, it's only 18,3 cm, and its design is roundish, very pleasant and typical of this manufacturer. Nothing to say about the packaging, it contains all you need to install the drive and start burning: everything is explained in a well-done user manual. The programs bundled with the SW232 are Easy CD Creator and Direct Cd +, that are really simple to use and are therefore suitable for beginners while power users may prefer to switch to better burning programs.