Gizmodo: optical drives

The Eee PC Gets a DVD Drive

Mark Wilson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:17:46 EDT

Last week it was a rumor. Today it's a fact. The Eee PC (model 1004DN) will be the first Eee with a Super-Multi optical disc drive.

The 10-inch netbook is ordinary in every other way, loaded with the typical N280 Atom chipset (that's the newer one), 1GB RAM, 120GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. And while it may look like a bit like a Mac, from what we can tell, the body is aluminum only around the keyboard, meaning that the underside is still plastic.

The 1004DN is 3.2 pounds (when loaded with a 6-hour, 6-cell battery) and 1.3 inches thick at its chunkiest point. It should begin shipping overseas in April, but there's no word on pricing at this time. [Asus via Electricpig]

It May Be Too Late for Combo Blu-ray/HD DVD Drives

Adam Frucci — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:06:09 EDT

Plextor has just announced a couple of new Blu-ray drives that also read HD DVDs, clearly designed for the poor saps who made the wrong choice in the format war. At first it might seem like an OK choice for people with a HD DVD collection quickly growing obsolete, but for $500 for a read-only drive or $600 for a burner, maybe a better idea would be to just get a straight-up Blu-ray drive and consider your HD DVD losses an early adopter tax. [Product Page via Electronista]

Kama Connect Eases Data Transfer, Transition Between Systems

Gizloco — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 12:31:33 EDT

Transferring data between systems can be a real pain in the behind, especially if you have data on one and need it on the other. Scythe's Kama Connect is a device that make this transition a little easier. It connects two different drives, including IDE/ATA and SATA hard drives as well as optical drives, to facilitate the data transfer. When hooked up to IDE/ATA drives, the Kama connect doesn't need an external power supply, but when connected to power-hungry SATA drives, you'll need to use the supplied AC adapter. Additionally, it can be connected to a USB port for transfer data to another drive, if you swing that way.

It's pretty clear that something like this would make a great addition to any PC repair center, where customers often come in saying that their "computer is broke." Alternatively, for people who enjoy building their own PCs, it could be a bit of a time saver. At only $29.90, it's probably worth looking into if you do a lot of transferring between drives. – Nicholas Deleon

Product Page [Scythe via Fareastgizmos.comm]

Sony, NEC Getting Friendly in the Optical Drive Business

Travis Hudson — Mon, 27 Feb 2006 18:06:00 EST

Sony and NEC have officially signed an agreement which would merge both of their respected optical drive businesses. With the agreement Sony will control 55 percent of the company while NEC will control the other 45 percent. The company, named Sony NEC Optiarc Inc., will begin manufacturing merged optical drives this spring.

The kicker, Sony is one of the leaders of the Blu-Ray movement, while NEC has publicly backed the HD DVD format. Even though both of the new formats are engaged in a heated battle to the death, Sony has already said that they may produce HD DVD drives alongside their Blu-Ray drives.

Sony, NEC To Form "Optiarc" Drive Business [Extremetech]