Q:
A: The first number 48x is the speed for write once operations, for example, when you are burning a CD-R. The second number 16x is for re-write operations, for example, when you are burning a CD-RW. The third number 52x is for read only operations, for example when you are copying music or data off of a cd-rom disc. These speeds are assuming that the cpu and other hardware in the system can support the operation, otherwise it throttles down to the least factor.