the best burner to get right now is the Pioneer A06. it burns both - and + r medias and is one of the most stable writers around.

the big difference between - and + r is price ... for now that is. the -r's run a bit cheaper and are more compatable with game consoles. (if you're into burning xbox and PS2 games, -r is the media to use)

if you're into burning movies, +r is accepted by more stand alone dvd players, but most major brands should play either. (+r's work in the crappy low end dvd players like Apex, Coby, etc)