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    Slot Load DVD Drives? Help from owners of HP 8150 and ThinkPad T61p (sorta)

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by LaptopGun, Apr 19, 2008.

  1. LaptopGun

    LaptopGun Notebook Evangelist

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    More hilarity in my quest for a new laptop. My beloved Ferrari came with a slot load a Panasonic model UJ-845-C Super Multi DVD Burner and I've grown to absolutely love it. I had already hated tray laptop drives: too flimsy, too in the way, and potentially harmful to discs if I snap them in/out wrong. BTW, same reasons why I hate the slimline PS2. ;) Back on track, I really prefer slot load drives. Only one laptop I've seriously looked at comes with one, the ever popular Dell XPS 1530. However I prefer the HP 8150 or ThinkPad T61p (for several reasons I wont get into here). I was wondering a bunch of things about this lovely situation. Can I get some help from 8150, T61p, any owners of laptops with slotload drives, and people with knowledge.

    1. What optical drive interface does the HP 8150 or ThinkPad T61p accept?
    2. Are their any particuarly good models of slot load drives I should be aware of?
    3. Newegg and zipzoomfly both lacked slotload burners. I saw a few brand new ones from Panasonic and Pioneer on Ebay, so I'm not massively worried. Would anyone know of a good place to buy them besides Ebay?
    4. Have companys stopped making slot load drives or are they just a niche product?
    Bonus Points: Am I crazy for looking into this before I buy a laptop? :D
     
    LaptopGun, Apr 19, 2008
    #1
  2. K-TRON

    K-TRON Hi, I'm Jimmy Diesel ^_^

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    You can upgrade your cd drive very easily.
    All laptops use a generic ata based optical drive.
    The problem is, is the connector between the laptop and the motherboard. Usually there is an adaptor which plugs into the back of the optical drive, which goes to a random proprietary plug on the motherboard.
    You need this adaptor for the drive to connect.
    Unfortunately the only way to get that adpator, is to buy the laptop with a cd drive, and then when you get the system, take the optical drive out, and install the adaptor onto your slotloading drive.

    There are other websites which sell slot-loading drives.
    http://www.google.com/products?q=slot+loading+drive&hl=en&scoring=p

    slot loading drives are more expensive, which is why they are not offered in many laptops.

    I have two slot loading blu-ray burners in my Voodoo laptop.
    I love slotloading, its the greatest optical drive technology.

    K-TRON
     
    K-TRON, Apr 20, 2008
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