Thinkpads Forum

OK, after that subject line, is there really a need to ask? Actually, I've been seeing a lot of talk of putting a DVD-ROM and bigger HDD, but what about a re-writeable? Is it as easy as finding one from a newer machine that's the same shape and has the right plug?

Thanks.

Yes, it would be finding the correct type of connection. Sounds like an interesting project. Would like the end result posted that way if anyone else wishes to do the same the information would be here for them to find with a search.

Don't see why not, as optical drives have been using the same connector for quite a while.

Question is, is it standard 12.7mm thickness or slim like the newer Thinkpads?

If i don't remember wrong the drive doesn't have a connector it has a cable attached to the back which will make finding a replacement more difficult.

Clearly, I need to check the board personally, rather than rely on e-mail updates, or I'd've responded sooner.
I'm looking at some A-series drives, since it's not really that much newer. I haven't seen a P4 in one, anyway. According to ThinkWiki, UltraBay FX supports a 4X DVD-ROM, but I was hoping for something a bit faster. Honestly, I have no idea why, except that shouldn't everything be bigger/stronger/faster?
Currently, I'm fishing for memory. I somehow fried a 64MB DIMM, so now I can't even activate the wireless PCMCIA. The local recycler had some SD DIMMs lying around, but he accidentally sold me 2 128MB DIMMs of PC66. Fortunately, I picked up a couple of old 365Xs that I don't know what to do with and a Toshiba Tecra for my stepson (very wicked step-father of me). The 365Xs are limited to 64MB, and are already there, but I'll bet that Tecra will run XP, now.
Ultimately, I'll upgrade the CPU anyway, and that may be what's necessary to run a DVD#RW. For now, I'm going to go in smaller steps. I have to share my money with a car, too, and I'm in the middle of an HEI conversion on that.

Edit: As soon as I finished posting this, I saw components on Craigslist or eBay for an A-series over 2.0GHz. My bad.

OK, now that I've picked up a 600E for my kid (he slammed the lid shut my wife's new HP because the game he was playing "cheated;" a TP is the closest thing to a Panasonic Toughbook that I can afford for him right now) and heard the sound out of those speakers, I realized that putting a kickin' DVD drive in my 390x is like using Maya to animate a cable network cartoon show. Actually, the sound quality is so poor, I can have Virgin Radio streaming in the kitchen and not even hear that it's on in the living room, so I don't see much use in trying to watch movies in a car, and any games that come on DVD-ROM aren't going to run on this old girl.

Ironically, the 600E can't play DVDs smoothily, apparently, without more upgrading than I'm interested in at the moment. I'll get around to that when my son learns some self control and earns himself a "cooler" laptop. He thinks using my laptop is punishment when he has to work on a writing project for school. Oddly, his little brother thinks the little red joystick is the neatest thing he's ever seen.

In the mean time, I can make baby steps with both computers. I'm currently up to 256MB (it reads as 261,616 KB, for reasons I'll never understand) on the 390x and 160MB (161 and change) in the 600E. It's now running XP pretty solidly, though I do have to reboot once in a while to get the USB wireless to acquire a network address. After I finish this and update a post in another topic, I'm making the leap to XP on this one, too, since everything just sort of worked with a fresh XP Home.

I'll revisit if I can find a better pair of speakers. I have an old Compaq with a pair of JBL speakers that might shoehorn in the screen bezel...