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    CD to DVD upgrade doable?

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by midian191, Dec 12, 2005.

  1. midian191

    midian191 Newbie

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    First post to forum so hello all,

    ok i have an older laptop that I still want to use (it's a compaq presario 1800T). I want to change the CD rom drive to a DVD rom or writer but the face plate is different. I was thinking I could just swap them but I am concerned about button alignment and if the plates are even swapable. I could just get the dvd upgrade from compaq but i don't want to pay over $300 for a DVD drive that i could get for less than 1/2 price.

    Any thoughts.
     
    midian191, Dec 12, 2005
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  2. Ardor

    Ardor Notebook Evangelist

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    Nothing i can think of. How old is your laptop? If you can, find out which DVD drive Compaq would put into your system. Then you should be able to find it or something similiar in stores.
     
    Ardor, Dec 12, 2005
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  3. midian191

    midian191 Newbie

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    it is 6 yrs old (ancient).
     
    midian191, Dec 12, 2005
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  4. tullnd

    tullnd Notebook Evangelist

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    Even if you could physically do it...I'd be concerned about a laptop that old being able to stream enough data to the drive to write a DVD efficiently. Plus...that kind of investment in a machine that old just seems unwise to me.
     
    tullnd, Dec 12, 2005
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  5. midian191

    midian191 Newbie

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    well I have found the exact part I need for less than $100 and with a 14" screen is not bad for a machine that I could surf the net with and watch DVD's. But point taken, I guess I just hate having it knocking around and not use it in some capacity. BTW you think I could use as wide screen somehow?
     
    midian191, Dec 12, 2005
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  6. Slappy

    Slappy Notebook Deity NBR Reviewer

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    You can swap out the drive, but wide-aspect vs. 4:3 is sort of a basic component of the form factor, you know? If you're asking about swapping the 14" screen you have now for a WS of some kind, I'd say that's not feasible. You can watch DVDs "letterboxed", but I think everybody with a 4:3 TV knows that, so I'm guessing your asking about a physical upgrade of some kind...
    If my guess is right, the short answer is "no."
     
    Slappy, Dec 13, 2005
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  7. midian191

    midian191 Newbie

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    Thanx for the reply all.

    Slappy I wasn't thinking of a swapping the screens, I just wasn't clear. I guess my thinking was along the lines of if I can force my vid card to a particular res then I could watch Widescreen but you can't force the LCD to that res. Even if you could force LCD I guess it wouldn't look so good.

    Thanx again for all input.
     
    midian191, Dec 13, 2005
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