Why aren't there more slot loading DVD drives?

As the title says, how come we don't see more slot loading DVD drives? I don't know about you, even though its a personal perference, but I think slot loading looks sleeker and more slimplistic than your tray loading ones. So far, I've only seen a couple of asus models and on the pc side and apple notebooks.

I figure slot loading would be cheaper to make and more durable because there's less moving parts. If I hadn't stealthed my dvd drive on my desktop, I would def. have bought a slot loading drive instead. anyone feel the same or am I alone in this boat?

 

If i could customize the W1JC havin a slot loadin drive, i would buy it already. Agree with u!

 

I could care less about slot vs tray. I want good burn quality. How do you figure there is less parts with the loading mechanism.

 

I wonder if slot drives cost more? That would be my only guess.
Tim

 

When possible I install slot loading drives in the machines I sell but only if the customer wants one. They can be troublesome (ejecting discs etc) but they are also less likely to break than tray etc.

There aren't very many out there. They usually aren't that much more expensive. I use pioneer drives and they cost about an extra $80 for me to purchase and install. Currently all of the systems I sell are available with these drives.

 

i guess its cause if u want to upgrade the dvd drive, then you cant. idk..just a thought

 

Nah, they wouldn't be any harder/easier to switch than a normal tray drive. Actually slot loading might be easier, since you wouldn't have to worry about the faceplate matching.

 

i totally don't get the point of slot drives. cd's get stuck, you can only use full sized disks, and i imagine it would be easy to drop little stuff in there. i like my trays, thanks.

 

They cost more. THAT IS THE REASON. Manufacturers always try to save money.

Personally I wouldn't want to have one on my laptop. On a desktop maybe. For a laptop I figure it can collect quite a bit of dust and debris. Plus some discs get stuck or slip on the mounting mechanism. To me it's like asking for trouble. A regular drive doesn't look bad enough for me to want the extra trouble.

 

So I was right for once... I should come out of Off Topic more often. LOL
Tim

 

because even though there are still moving parts inside, there's no trays going in and out, in and out, I figure less wear and tear.

 

I like my slot loading drive. Even though it's asking for trouble, it's something rare. I don't like common stuff. But that's just wierd me. -.-

Yeah Tim, you hide too much

 

I dont see how cds get stuck more than a tray loading. I have actually gotten cds stuck more in tray loading due to not putting the cd in that circle correctly and getting caught when it closes thus scratching the cd. and I can count on 2 fingers how many times I have used non full size cds in all the years I have been using a drive, and thats a lot of years.

 

I was pretty sure they cost more (although I can't see why they would) but I don't see dust getting in there anymore than your tray loading ones. I'd have to pry the opening just to get the cd in there, so its pretty much sealed when not in use.

 

I would love to have a slot-loading drive on my laptop.

They make so much more sense, it would add sleekness to an already thin machine.

However, I would imagine this causes one obvious problem to the keyboard layout of a normal notebook; standard windows-based notebooks would have to get their whole keyboard redesigned to add the eject button for the drive (no button when the tray cover is removed).

Props to apple for taking the effort to doing all of the above.

 

Whoa...really old thread revived!

Anyways , the XPS M1330 has a slot loading drive too now. Not that the posters of this thread knew that, back in June of 2006 .

 

wow where to find a slot load drive for my sager 5791?? id love one..

 

easy
1. insert cd/dvd
2. forget that you have a cd/dvd inside
3. insert another cd/dvd
4. disc gets jammed