Yes, the case is plastic but I found it to be sturdy. Plugged it in and it was recognized right away. Reads the mini CD that comes with it just fine. Not loud or clunky. Faster than my internal drive and operates smoothly. Comes with Nero Burning ROM in one of the directories on the included mini CD. The serial number for Nero is in the directory where you will find Nero setup. I am 100% satisfied.