x series with built-in dvdrw/blue ray

[rnsolo]

does anybody have an info on when we can have a new x series with the built in dvd-rw or blue ray drive.

thanks.

[devilsrejection]

probably never

[Preduck]

I agree is rnsolo. One of the reasons why I bought my X61, is because of the size. I rarely need my DVD drive, so nice to lose the weight and bulk of it. Although the size of the drives are shrinking, (i actually like the idea of the slot drives in laptops) They would increase the size of the notebook. After looking at the interior of my Thinkpad, Everything is fit in there with almost no room to spare. I think it's something they will offer on the T and/or R series in '08. I would assume that a drive for the ultrabase would be released around the same time.

[Trekk69]

I have the ultrabase, with the DVD RW etc, but I find I never really need it. I love the small, compact, nature of the X61T and couldn't think of it any other way.
Just wait, and eventually blu ray/burners/players/HD players/burners/etc will all be USB and portable.
Now, I love the light weight, and excellent battery life of the current model.

[ryengineer]

Panasonic has sent Blue-Ray (9.5 mm) samples to computer manufacturers including lenovo, one can install it in Ultrabase once it gets commercially available:

Panasonic shipping samples of world's thinnest Blu-ray drive.

[JabbaJabba]

I don't think you will see a built-in optical drive in future X-series ThinkPads anytime soon.

Even if there are other ultraportables with built-in optical drives, they have lower performance compared to i.e. the X61, due to factors such as thermal design and physical space. In addition, the manufacturers will often have to compromise the build quality due to the same reasons.

There are a few notebooks however, which come close. Take the 12.1" standard form factor Panasonic W7. It is quite comparable to the X61 in many ways, with its ruggedness and size. This notebook has a built-in optical drive (which open up upwards instead of sideways). But once again, it does not offer the same kind of performance.

In fact, I am yet to find a 12.1" ultraportable or below with comparable dimensions and weight, which offer up to a T7500 2.2GHz CPU and 7200 RPM hard drives.

It is always a compromise. In the case of the X-series, I find the optical drive compromise to suit my needs well.