I think slot load drives are best for laptops

Personally, I prefer tray-loaded drives because of their convenience when something goes wrong. Yes, slot-loaded and cool and futuristic, but I don't want to take apart a beautiful machine just because I'm downloading tracks of....umm....never mind. *quickly hides a CD* >_>

In either case, I wish tray-loaded drives were much more stronger, robust and less prone to breaking...but I'd still take them despite this flaw.

Mr. Mysterious

 

I am a fan of tray loaded drives. Very easy to install, very robust; simply much less likely to break than a slot loading drive. More control in that I can manually get a disc out if a need to without worrying about damaging a slot loading motor.

 

Drop a disc from 5 feet up, then drop your HDD. As for your USB drive, you're still limited in GB and you need a computer. You can play a DVDs virtually anywhere. Oh, and did I forget to mention cost?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have no problem with manufacturers including cool looking gadgets on my laptop, so long as they give me a choice.

This reminds me of the integrated bumpers on most newer cars. The cool factor can be beat, but once you wreck one and get the bill (even when it's insured you're still speechless) you'll wonder what they were thinking.

 

Well said. Still, I just can't help but wonder why some people can't see this. I can't understand why they're already playing a funeral dirge for discs?

 

It's simple. People don't stop and think the whole thing through. It would utterly shock them, if just for one week, they had all their Optical media taken away and told to do without because optical media is dead. The world would shift off it's axis.

 

Lol. It seems ignorance is bliss, of course.

Not really. Depends on the region. Some areas of the UK are real bad, fairly patchy coverage. Germany and France seem pretty good though - the main problem is with developing Asia, India, and Australia. Sufficient speed for a cloud based network is not really probable with the horribly patchy coverage that these places have.

 

yeah, that's why i said "pretty much"
The south of Italy probably isn't that good either but the same goes for large areas in the US. So saying it's at least as good really won't be that far off.

 

Ok ,there are some really good points in this thread now! thanks to those intelligent brains!

 

Slot loading drives are a lot more likely to break down, the one in my Macbook broke after only eighteen months plus its alot easier to upgrade your tray loading drive. The Question is, is there really a point to a slot loading drive?

 

i thought it doesn't matter as I seldom use the optical drive until I got a TV tuner which has a mini-CD driver disk :-(

 

Thread raised from the dead?

I prefer tray-load drives since they're a lot more durable and pretty much immune to discs getting stuck inside, but over both, I'd prefer no drive!

 

Slot load: 'pretty'

Tray load: 'beautifully functional'.

 

From my rage from the SXPS revival thread.

I've had to disassemble over 20 laptops, Macbooks to Studios with slot loaded drives. And say your slot loaded drive breaks (moreso common than tray loaded optical drives), you have to gut your entire notebook as mostly slim thinner notebooks have slot loaded drives. Oh and say your laptop dies and you have to get a DVD out? Gotta get good with that paper clip or gut your computer.

I've been working with repairing laptops unofficially for 10 years, 3 years as a bench technician and I can tell you I have almost never have seen tray ODD break on their own. For 1 tray loaded ODD I replace under warranty, I probably replace 5-10 slot loaded. Not counting the morons who stick paper, mini discs, and other crap in their ODD. And tray loaded ODD usually have 1 screw and it slides out vs 20-40 minutes opening up a Studio or Macbook for a simple ODD replacement. Ridiculous.

 

Only a little more than 4 months old, that's not too bad.

I also prefer tray load drives. If by any reason you get a stuck tray, you just need a paper clip to get it out. Plus as others have said, they support mini discs.

 

I'm sure its already been mentioned but neither, 2nd hard drive of course.

 

I work at a computer repair shop. I recommend a tray loaded drive for several reasons:

1. Slot loaded drives cost a bit more then tray to replace.
2. Slot loaded apparently don't last as long for obvious reasons, which are people jamming DVD's/CD's in quickly. Other times jamming a DVD or CD because they forgot there's one inside. For my personal favorite, a guy in college jamming a mini DVD inside.
3. If the Slot loaded drive fails or jams a DVD, you need to disassemble the whole laptop down to get the CD out, if you can't do this a repair shop can do it for a nice fee.
If a Tray loaded jams, all you need to do is use a paper clip+perhaps a wedge. It will pop out because it is a mechanical tray and the way the DVD sits makes it difficult to stay jammed inside. If it's really messed up, remove 1-2 screws and pull the drive out and replace it.

Overall I like it's looks but in the end I am a man who loves the beauty of functionality. So I choose tray loaded. (Personally I only need ODD for installations of software, even then those are coming down in quantity due to downloadable installers). Speaking of which, can't wait for my E6500 2.5" drive caddy for my dvd drive.

 

Yes, no drive is good, or option for second HDD/SSD. While I find slot load to be elegant, if you have an issue then it's a PITA. I opt for tray load. For external though I like the top to lift up instead of a tray load. Simple and effective.

 

I think external drives are best for laptops

 

i think internal are best... got enough stuff to carry.. anyways , i like tray loaded... nver used slot loaded but seen in DVD machines etc and don't like them especially if they jam... of course , tray loaded is not good in a way if your break the tray but still overall tray is better

Panther214