Upgrade Laptop from CD to DVD

[Paul Komski]

My Uncle has a 800-MHz/128-RAM/20GB-HDD Laptop with internal CDROM drive that he wants to watch DVD movies on. Which is the best way to go? Replace with internal DVD or get an external one using PCMCIA or Firewire or ... etc. Any opinions or experience much appreciated.

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Take nice care of yourselves - Paul
"Those who say they don't let little things annoy them have never tried to sleep in a room with a buzzing mosquito."

[hiredgoonz]

Depends on what your preferences are...it might be tough to find a replacement DVD drive for the laptop and it could be expensive...plus, when you get rid of that laptop, the drive will probably be useless since your next laptop won't be the same

PCMCIA of firewire would allow you to swap the drive and keep it when the laptop dies, but require that you carry around all that extra stuff (drive, power cable, interface cable) and have a place to plug the drive in...

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When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[Paul Komski]

Thanks very much hiredgoonz. Has given me another thought that I might suggest he buys a new laptop and passes the old one on to me!! http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif Some hope.

What little experience I have of laptops has persuaded me to avoid ever having them opened-up if it can be avoided. The only one I ever owned was never right after the mono screen was upgraded to color.

Are there any external drives that could be run off the laptop's own battery (or at least off a cigarette-lighter in a car or an armrest-socket in an airplane); surely not all such external drives need a mains supply??

[hiredgoonz]

Here's one...cheap too...
http://www.targus.com/product_details.asp?sku=PA920u

------------------
When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[Paul Komski]

Thanks again hiredgoonz. Looks like a nifty accessory; I'll send the link on.

[hiredgoonz]

No problem...until I found it, I didn't know they made them like that, good thinking on your part. I just wonder what it does to your battery life to watch DVDs like that...

------------------
When all else fails, read the instructions.

Microsoft Knowledge Base (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;rid;kbinfo)

Drivers (http://www.driverguide.com)

Google (http://www.google.com)

[Paul Komski]

Couldn't find any specs as to how much power it actually consumes; but the following is quoted from the Product Details.

Micro Power Management System-Draws what little power it needs from your 16-bit PC Card slot

During idle times - Requires almost no power. Thus, no severe drain on your notebook's battery.

As for battery life generally ... time for another thread!