Back when I first wanted to get a cd recorder (around 1993 if I remember right. But may have been earlier.):

SUBJECT:CD-Recorders, Philips Lower Price. Don’t be fooled by others who say they have a lower price!!!

These prices include Corel CD-Creator software and Adaptec Controller for your PC!!

Philips CDD 522, $2,499.00

Smart & Friendly CD-R 1002 High Performance At a lower cost, single and double speed recording, Supports red book audio, Record a disc in as little as 37 minutes 1MB buffer, $1,549.00

Smart & Friendly CD-R 2000 Dual to meet any need, Single and double speed recording, Record a disc in as little as 37 minutes, Daisychain up to 6 together for simultaneous copies on all of them!, Unattended copy mode, Supports red book audio, Buffer expandable from 2MB to 32MB!! $2,499.00

CD-R 4000 For those who need warp speed, Single, Double, and QUAD speed recording! Record a disc in as little as 17 minutes, supports Red book audio, 512KB buffer. $3,599.00

CD-R Media, 74 minute CD’s when purchased with the CD-R 2000, as many as 1,000 pieces, only $7.50!! (EACH!)

CD-R Media as follows with other purchases:
63 Minute 74 minute
10+ $9.50 ea. 10+ $9.75 ea.
100+ $9.00 ea. 100+ $9.30 ea.
1000+ $8.45 ea. 1000+ $8.70 ea.

For the above CD-Recorders with Gear Windows add $360.00

For the above CD-Recorders with Macromedia Director, Authorware W.M.,
and Gear WIN MM, add $1,000.00

My first cd recorder was an external that was about as big as a 90’s vcr, recorded at 1 speed (which took about an hour per cd) and you absolutely could not do anything else while burning or you’d wind up with an expensive coaster. I seem to remember it costing around $300. The only reason I was able to afford it was I had sold 100 copies of a Medical Tickler Management System I wrote to the US Navy for evaluation and made enough to buy the thing. (The Navy never did contact me about buying more. Bummer!)