I think slot load drives are best for laptops

Well having gone from old compaq(tray) to hp pavilion(tray) to finally M1330(slot load),i have found slot load drives are way better than tray loading drives.I mean,c'mon guyz,it saves a lot of time inserting disc(u only need once to put the disk in vs removing the tray n waitin ,then putin the disc correctly and pushing).Not to say -it gives me a much more pro kinda feeling in a conference while loading a disc(aka style)
What are ya thoughts upon to!

 

The best is: no drive...the notebook will be lighter

If you need an integrated drive...its a matter of tastes:
- Slot loader...looks cool, is thinner but it is also louder
- Tray loader...not so cool, not so thin, but also not so loud

 

Ding-Ding-Ding! We have a winner. (IMO anyway)

But if I had to pick between the two.... Slot Load 100%. I had two disk trays snap off of my old iBook.

 

Tray load. There are some notebooks out there (mainly business) that have accessories for the optical drive slots. e.g.: Weight saver modules, extra batteries, extra slot for a 2nd hard drive.

 

The best weightsaver module is no drive. I agree with the first two replies

 

Like a helium insert or something????

But really, I love my slot load. Just more aggravating to change if it ever goes bad. And, what if the cd/dvd gets stuck? With the trays you always had the small hole and paper clip solution. Just sayin'!

 

I'd say tray loaded.. I've always used it and find it less easy to put in the disc the wrong way or anything and certainly however rough i am , the tray nver broke.. i just like tray loaded...

 

Tray. If for some reason your tray won't pop out, you can still do it manually with a needle.

 

Tray. I've had stuck discs on my laptops, and a paperclip fixed it. I've had friends with slot drives have to take apart their computer to get a disc out.

 

CD/DVDs are like the floppy discs...the only purpose left for holding on to them is so you can one day show them off to your young and flaunt how old school you are.

No ODD. Even for the largest notebooks.

 

Well ODDs are useful for those particularly large games. MW2 was ~ 13GB. Given a DSL connection, it wasn't fun to download.

Not to mention, most music isn't available to download in FLAC. I need an ODD to rip in FLAC from CDs.

 

And you missed my point. The point is, to have the flexibility for different situations.

 

i think there are also small discs that only work with tray load, you know that smaller circular outline on the dvd tray inside the larger circle? (think gamecube discs)

i believe this is why business class notebooks use tray (and also to avoid the problem of discs getting stuck as mentioned above)

 

Also for better serviceability. You just remove 1 screw and pull the bad drive out.

 

wow,thats was a gr8 response for my fun created post.
For the small discs in slot load drive.Think logically.I didn't ever had the use of small discs.I have rather used many dvd's,but i feel that the data on small discs is so small(1.4gb i guess) that it can b downloaded easily.But still thats a con .Slot load drives do lack use of small discs.I agree completly

 

Tray drives all the way.

Form follows function - otherwise what you get is pretty (to look at) but ugly (what it does to your discs).

 

Slot load any day. The one in my SXPS 16 is quite and works quite well. I have always worried about the flimsy tray that popped out and if I was going to snap it off accidentally. As for accessories you could always have the drive setup like my old acer 5672 where it was just as easy to remove as a normal drive.

 

I prefer tray loading since I can easily swap the ODD for a HDD caddy. And it supports the few obscurely-small driver CD's I have.

 

Agreed, 100%. Also, shot loaders are prettier, but trays have never scratched my discs.

 

I had a slot load on my desktop for years, and never experiences scratched disc, nor have I with my nearly year ownership with M17x's so far (crosses fingers)

 

I wasn't saying they WILL scratch discs, just more likely to. I could be wrong, as that is my perception after dealing with slot load cd players in cars, which is probably a much dustier environment.

 

I can agree, slightly more likely too, I've yet to see one do it however.

 

Tray mostly because ejection is a bit more of a pain if there's no physical button on the slot load drive *looks at MBPs*. Also, as Johnny mentioned, slot load drives are typically integrated into the chassis so there's less flexibility; I love the fact that I can swap my T5010's optical drive for an extra HDD or in my case, more likely than not, a second battery.

Slot load definitely has the "fancy" factor in it though lol I don't recall care that much since I rarely use DVDs.

 

If I had a sweet MX17 like yours, I'd be tickled pink with the slot loader. Yes, I'm envious!

 

Wrong! The worst thing you can do is to "put all your eggs into one basket!"

Expand your linear thinking. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Two very excellent points!

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

 

I keep forgetting I can't delete threads on this site. ^^

 

I say tray loaded as they are more reliable and as others have pointed out the paper clip thing if the disc gets stuck.

 

DVD drives are so 2006

 

On the contrary, discs have a big future for anyone with vision. Just you wait!

 

Being a frisbee in a computer lab doesn't count!

 

I swear, some of the funniest people in the world are members here. It is entertaining just to read.

I have no problem with the smaller discs on my slot load. Use it for video transfer and so forth. One of those mini DVD recorders.

 

optical media is going nowhere anytime soon. BLU is where it's at now, but DVD is still more than adequate for everything sold today.

Mine will not load mini-dvds or CD's, the slot tray does not catch it at all, I've had them in all the way except for maybe 1/4" of an inch and nothing. All my Slot-load drives do this.

 

I disagree. The future is the cloud. *looks to the sky*

 

I think DVD's and Blu and such will be around for a while but for the few times i'd need them i'd rather get an external drive and save the space and weight in my laptop. External ones are usually more reliable/faster/ quieter anyway.

 

Tray for serviceability. Trying to get to the slot-load requires dismantling the full casing on the machines I've seen so far, while trays are just a screw or two away from freedom. Whether it's tray or slot load, the optical drive is always the first or second component to fail (second only to hard drive abuse).

 

A grade "A" point. I hope the rest of you are listening.

Okay, now that's an old school opinion. Newer ones are more reliable. And with quality components, even more so.

 

My Tray load is just a switch away from freedom, no screws

But yeah, slot loads being integrated into the chassis limits their flexibility.

 

IDK. I've had several fail on multiple notebooks. Apples included. That's why I said the best is no drive. I've had so many fail because of servo malfunction, dirty lens, or firmware corruption, that I got fed up and just flat out refuse to use them anymore. My desktop is the only one I EVER use, and I use it to make ISO images of all my software, and they're backed up to my USB Pocket Drive, and to my desktop external HDD. I keep the pocket drive in my bag, so it's always there, with ALL my software, without having to rely on TIRED, scratch-prone, optical media. Much more convienient IMO... faster transfer rates, programs install faster, and they're all in one spot. On my Latitude, I have mission critical software ISO's backed up to a special partition, so that even if something needs the disk, I just mount it, and go with it.

 

I dont get it right.Dont u guys need to remove the cable from mb for tray load drive while removing. Why say 1 screw and its out-lolz
BTW i still like my slot load.It kinda ""feels"" futuristic to use.All my friends envy me when m loading ny dvd.Thats what i had like
But this thread is goin crazy long.Thanx for ALL of your replies.I appreciate it!

 

Tray-load drives . . . you mean the cupholders most computers still come with?

J/K. To answer the question, I like tray-load drives because they are simpler - less moving parts, therefore less that can break vs. a slot-load. Tray-load is also quieter in my experience.

That said, my latest notebook has no optical drive and I have not even thought about it. I'm not saying optical discs don't have their uses - they do - only other technologies (cloud storage, external/network storage) have largely replaced optical for me.

 

Don't know about most laptops, but my Toshiba's optical drive just slides in and plugs into a connector mounted on one of the boards. The cable runs to the stationary connector (or there isn't a cable. I forget). So yes, it is a one screw removal process on mine (well, actually none, as I leave it out. I swap the DVD drive with a second HDD. Either plugs in snugly enough to not really need the screw).

 

OIC,i think i dont have any idea on tray loads then.Thanks btw

 

I prefer slot load drives, even though both of my notebooks are tray load. I think it looks more futuristic, less flimsy and overall, nicer to use.

To the people who say that we don't need optical drives, have you ever considered how bad our internet connections are outside of the US? I have the absolute highest speed available from my ISP, and it is only 8 Megabits per second. Ever stop to consider that you aren't the complete center of the universe, and that there are developing countries such as Australia and countries in regional Asia and Africa that don't quite have the same quality of internet as you?

 

I agree with you there 100%. I have 15Mb/s, but I just moved into a new development, and I'm the only one on my local loop. My previous residence only had options for 1.5 or 3Mb/s from Att DSL. With current speeds it's just not feasable to abandon ODD's just yet. Whether people like it or not, Blu-Ray is THE way to watch HD content, hands down. Optical media is great for stationary use devices like the PS3 or a desktop, but for a notebook, it's only just now becoming an option to abandon ODD's because of the huge amount of HDD capacity one can have nowadays on-the-cheap. But I should also say it's the absolute best way to buy new software. HDD's die. It's inevitable... It will happen. Optical media will always have that copy of software on it, and if treated correctly, will last for a LONG time. When FTTH is common place, only then can we think about killing off distributed optical media, like program installations, or OS installs. Optical storage for archival will continue for a very long time though.

 

Not the Universe, but like it or not, for sure this world!!

 

Because thats exactly how most of us remove our drives. We are not lying to you for the sake of it.

 

Developing world? I work with teachers in rural Ohio who still don't have cable to their homes. Dial-up is their only option.

 

Ok jonny,no offense here.BTW i 110% agree with shadow.(for both slot load +internet stats)

 

i totally agree with this... with blue ray and 100GB++ storage per disc, i certainly think this will be more economical than hard drives or flash storage.. but yes there's always been the reliability factor with discs... i don't know how many discs don't work for me sometimes.

 

In ALL these cases, i'd still prefer external dedicated drives over any type of internal. Much more reliable and a lot faster and it saves weight and space in the laptop.

And about internet outside the US....i think pretty much the whole of the EU is covered at least as good.