Laptop question re: upgrading the cd drive

[missdiva]

Ok finally got a good deal on a laptop (HP Pavilion ze4100) and only issue is that its a CD/DVD not CDRW/DVD. I have the hp part number for the cdrw/dvd but my question is - do I have to get THAT exact part from HP or can I get another one that will be compatible?

How much do the laptop cdrw/dvd drives run? I'm lookin around and they range so much - i have no idea which to get , just really need a basic one , not the crappiest but one step up :)

thanks guys!

[Hte2w8]

Just a suggestion...but you might want to get an external CDRW...that way you can take it back and forth btwn computers.

[missdiva]

well my desktop has the cdrw/dvdrw already so i dont need to go b&f, and i want it internal b/c I travel a lot. but thankx for the suggestion :)))

Yay ebay :)

[Darkflight]

The thing with internal laptop drives, is they are specific for the series of laptop you're using so, the price is generally stable and specific for model series... there is no 'generic' drive that can be installed in place of whatever your laptop manufactuer specifies...

[missdiva]

Oh well. So those random ones sold in the store w/ random brands wont work right? I see 'internal laptop cdrw drives' for like 50-100$ but it doesnt say what its compatible with!

Im looking on ebay now for my part - its around $125

[missdiva]

Oh and anyone use Win pro? Any big differences ?

I'm a big computer dork with this purchase, I'm going at 7:30 am to pick it up haha!

$580 for a 6 month old:

HP Pavilion ze4100
640MB ram
15'' monitor
Pent. 4
1.7 GHZ
20g hd
DVD
Ext HP floppy
Wireless card
Laptop bag
Recovery & OS Cd's

:) <----dork!!

[DF@Work]

ram don't sound right...

[Ted]

windows xp professional is more stable than xp home, and it allows you to access resources on a domain controller, which home doesn't.

640 ram probably started out as 128 and added a 512 to it. but i would double check. otherwise sounds like an okay deal.

[ken_vs_ryu]

you can get a new dell 700m for around $800.

[+Eric]

windows xp professional is more stable than xp home, and it allows you to access resources on a domain controller, which home doesn't.

LOL, more stable huh? I'm pro Win Pro, but how did you come to the ridiculous conclusion that Pro is more stable. Hmm, they both sit on the same core with protected memory.

[Ted]

LOL, more stable huh? I'm pro Win Pro, but how did you come to the ridiculous conclusion that Pro is more stable. Hmm, they both sit on the same core with protected memory.

i've seen more squirrly xp home setups than xp pro, but again it could be because of the domain support, the xp home boxes that i had problems with were operating in a domain environment (even though they couldn't log in to the domain)... there were likely other factors as well.

[missdiva]

it was 512 and he added 128.

Also comes w/ an external floppy, laptop bag, wireless card - so thats 3 more things i dont have to buy - i didnt want to spend $700, i wanted to spend $500 + around $100 for the extras :) so this worked out perfect.

(and i didnt want to get a dell :)

So I wont really see much difference then - i dont do much aside from internet/wp/music/paperwork. Really doesnt make a difference, but coming from WIN ME - ewwwww - anything is great!