3 May
2002
3 May
'02
8:19 a.m.
While the logical replacement has never been a problem,
the rounded front
that
fits the case is a virtually impossible thing to replace by the time the
drive
needs replacment. They seem to require a rounded drawer front with no bezel
of the drive. Whereas the bezel can be removed easily enough, finding a
drive
with that rounded front that fits, precisely, the slot in the plastic
front-face of the box is a problem. The part number is seemingly never
available more than 90 days after the computer is no longer an off-the-shelf
item.
The last HP I had to do a CD swap on, I gave up finding a replacement
"HP" drive, and just found the same model Mitsumi drive, then swapped the
front bezel off the drawer. Of course, finding an 8x multi-year old
Mutsumi CD drive was a challenge in itself (I tried other Mitsumi's, but
on newer ones, and on every other CD drive I found, the drawer position
and or mounting clips had changed, so there was no way to align it or put
the old bezel on it).
One more reason I build my own PCs these days.
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>