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Laptops without CD-ROM drives?

bignickel

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bignickel
Joined
Aug 14, 2002
Messages
3,365
Location
Somewhere, USA
I'm currently looking to get a refurbished cheap laptop (but not too cheap), when I suddenly realized that the page of laps I'm looking at include "No CD-ROM drive" in the descriptions.

WTF?

What use is it to your average consumer that a laptop comes with no CD-ROM drive? Just about every way of transferring large amounts of info is done thru CD-ROMs (and DVDs are going to become even more popular). I can't think of why anyone would do this.

It's not like a car with no radio; it's more like a car with no steering wheel (only a small computer with a preset list of locations you want to go to). You can operate it still, but only going forward to a preset place.

All these CDs here that I need to install... all the programs that I have that demand that the CD be present... Just way too odd. I could understand why Macs stopped carrying floppy drives, but AT LEAST they had another way of in putting info into the computer. Remove the CD-ROM, and what's left? Why not get rid of the keyboard while you're at, since 95% of computer problems could be prevented by keeping the user from typing things in.

I wrote em an email to find out what's going on; I assume (and maybe I shouldn't) that an internal CD-ROM drive for the cd-bay can be purchased seperately. Otherwise, there'll be a seperate CD drive hanging off of the back of the laptop everytime I use it.
 
Mrs. Mojo's been thinking of getting a compact laptop recently (she'd like one that's small enough for it to look as if she isn't carrying one, for obvious reasons), and a lot of them don't have an integral CD drive. I think the reasoning behind this is that most users only ever load stuff when they're at home, and really just use the thing as a word processor/internet access when they're on the move.
 
You guys got links to these? I'd like to check them out as possible gift to the fiance. She needs a small laptop.
 
:D :D :D Have solved this problem a number of ways!

Do they have a PCMCIA slot or two?
 
I'm currently looking to get a refurbished cheap laptop (but not too cheap), when I suddenly realized that the page of laps I'm looking at include "No CD-ROM drive" in the descriptions.
Click to expand...

How old are they? And how CHEAP? I mean damn, I got my laptop new about 4 years ago and I can get something twice as powerful now for 1/4 of the price new - and that has a CD-RW/DVD combo drive.
 
If they've got a bay for a CD drive and it's just been removed to let them sell it cheap, well, 99% of laptop optical drives will fit the hole, though you may have fun and games with the little metal clip or caddy which holds it in place (glue never goes amiss) and you can pick a cd-rom drive up for peanuts on ebay.
If it's not capable of taking an internal optical drive then you just get yourself a USB one, really. To be honest, I use CDs a lot in my job, for setting up computers, but once they're up and networked, I don't use them for anything.
 
Well, while I was waiting for a reply, that unit sold out. So I just ordered a differant unit, pre-inst with Win2K instead of WinXP. After navigating the internet for a half hour, I had found enough evidence to suggest that an internal CD-ROM drive was out there, that could fit into said laptop, and I've just ordered it. Pretty cheap actually; same as any old CD-ROM drive.

I trust the Win2K more actually; it's what I use on my main rig, and I have the CDs for it (evidently, laptops don't come with CDs these days (and why would they include them? no cd-rom drive! :) )

1.2 Ghz Dell P3, with Intel 830 video. I think I got a pretty good deal on this one.
 
With 1Gb USB keys and 4Gb 2.5" USB drives now available, not to mention the sort of 250Gb larger format USB drives, I can see CD drives going the way of 3.5" floppies. Who needs them? If you need offline storage, get a DVD writer.
 
Exactly.

Even old laptops with just PCMCIA can have an el-cheapo USB-2 adapter added, then whatever-the-heck can be plugged in.

Only issue with plug-in stuff is speed of disk access, and even that's getting better all the time.
 
Hmm. I am curious: when you buy software from a store, how do you install it in your kickass laptop-without-a-soon-to-be-redundant-CD-ROM-drive?

Because that sounds like a method that I should be using too. Of course, there's the problem of all the software CD's that I already have...
 
If you have other PCs in the house, and a network, wired or wireless, then you can share a CD/DVD drive over the network.
 
Well, that's a lotta if's in that one, especially since I already mentioned the software I use that demands a CD be present in the CD-ROM drive when you want to use them; especially if you're in a foreign country (like where I'm going).
 
bignickel said:
Hmm. I am curious: when you buy software from a store, how do you install it in your kickass laptop-without-a-soon-to-be-redundant-CD-ROM-drive?
Click to expand...
Why buy software from a store? Everything most people will ever need is available free, and almost anything specific that's not can be downloaded too.

bignickel said:
1.2 Ghz Dell P3, with Intel 830 video. I think I got a pretty good deal on this one
Click to expand...
How much, out of interest? For reference, we'd probably charge about 250-300 UKP instore for an Inspiron (I'm assuming) 1.2 P3. And that'd come with an m-bay dvd/cdwr combo drive. Cheaper off ebay :)
 
bignickel said:
Hmm. I am curious: when you buy software from a store, how do you install it in your kickass laptop-without-a-soon-to-be-redundant-CD-ROM-drive?

Because that sounds like a method that I should be using too. Of course, there's the problem of all the software CD's that I already have...
Click to expand...
USB-connected CD/DVD drive. Or better still, one of those tiny portable USB-connected hard drives ("pocket" hard drives) will hold hundreds of gigabytes of "stuff". Cheap too.

First one I found with Google.
http://www.computer-memory-store.co...xternal+Hard+Drives+Desktop&utm_source=google
 
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