Ultrabay Enhanced optical drives use proprietary connection!

[DaveO]

I've been able to put all brands of 12.5mm DVD burners, Panasonic, LG, Pioneer, Toshiba, etc. draw and slot type, in many Thinkpads, from T20 to T30, many A and R series too, without a problem as the drives are basically generic and just require fitment of the ultrabay 2000/plus brackets to physically fit.

I know T4x on use the "slim" 9.5mm drivebay and thought I would get a R5x series which uses the "enhanced" 12.5mm drivebay. Thinking that I wouldn't be stuck with only 1 or 2 (9.5mm) models that fit.

So....I got myself a R50p (with the 12.5mm "enhanced" not "slim" drivebay) and thought I would be real clever again and upgrade the 12.5mm DVD burner to a faster drive, assuming the "enhanced" drivebay used just another simple adaptor.... no luck!
IBM has changed the plug type which is a compact soldered part of the DVD drive PCB now.....

I assume the plug is common with the ultrabay "slim" 9.5mm drives, but it is a bugger that I will be stuck with an expensive IBM branded Multiburner drive, slow and not as featured as many.
All the generic drives will no longer allow fitment even though they are 12.5mm. So basically all new Thinkpads, with 9.5 AND 12.5mm drivebays, need the IBM branded optical drives which suck!

Just thought I would post this as I havent seen it specifically mentioned before.

DaveO

[Inky]

I've been able to put all brands of 12.5mm DVD burners, Panasonic, LG, Pioneer, Toshiba, etc. draw and slot type, in many Thinkpads
DaveO

That is the big news in your post, not the fact that one of them didn't work. Laptop computers have been the least standardized, most proprietary designs ever since Compaq introduced the first "luggable" suitcase PC. In trying to come out with laptops as thin and light as possible the manufacturers are constantly trying new and different (i.e. non-standard) ways of doing things.

Yes, it's true that with proprietary design being so much the nature of laptops, companies use proprietary designs to not only make the laptops thinner, lighter, etc. but also to require you to use their brand of accessories. With a desktop system that sort of proprietary move would be news, but with laptops it's actually business as usual.

-Inky

[rssb]

Converting a female connector to a male connector on the PCB which uses exactly identical space / size and no siginificant connection improvements ( a male has to mate a female ! ) whether it is female --> male or male --> female.

This has nothing to do with thin and light !! , just a business strategy, to make T 4X series to use only thier drives.

[DaveO]

Inky wrote:......but with laptops it's actually business as usual.



Hasn't been like that for at least 7 years with Thinkpads (circa 600/390 series)
Have always just put the various IBM adapter on the generic part!

This has nothing to do with thin and light !! , just a business strategy, to make T 4X series to use only thier drives.

Same applies to R5x series too! Even though they can take 12.5" drives!