The customer grapevine surpasses my Google-fu.
June 24, 2011 10:45 PM Subscribe
I have a half-height 5.25 bay on a Dell Optiplex XE, currently occupied by a DVD/CD burner. It needs to be replaced with a removable hard drive, but I still need an optical drive.
The only open bay on the Optiplex XE is a half-height 5.25" one. Underneath (internally), Dell has installed a 2.5" SATA hard drive. Requirement now states that all hard drives have to be removable, and opening the case, removing the optical drive, and then unplugging the SATA drive is just fine on a lab bench, but won't slice butter when these boxes are deployed to the desktop.
For our larger desktops, we use something like this, because we have an additional bay for a permanent optical drive.
The customer says his boss heard from one of his friends that read somewhere - seriously, that's how it was descibed - there are half-height SATA enclosures that contain a removable tray for a hard drive and include a slot-loading (permanent) optical drive within. Cost is not an issue. Removable drive size/type/interface are not an issue - SSD, 2.5" drive, any kind, any size is OK. (An external enclosure for either the hard drive or the optical drive is a no-go due to less-than-optimal equipment accountability at the customer site, Kensington locks, superglue, or other drastic measures notwithstanding.)
NewEgg, TigerDirect, CDW, Google Shopping - can't find one.
The only requirements are a removable hard drive with an optical slot or loader. Fans, locks, air filters, LEDs are all optional at this point.
Have you heard of such a thing? (And please, stop talking to the boss' neighbors' friends about it.)
The only open bay on the Optiplex XE is a half-height 5.25" one. Underneath (internally), Dell has installed a 2.5" SATA hard drive. Requirement now states that all hard drives have to be removable, and opening the case, removing the optical drive, and then unplugging the SATA drive is just fine on a lab bench, but won't slice butter when these boxes are deployed to the desktop.
For our larger desktops, we use something like this, because we have an additional bay for a permanent optical drive.
The customer says his boss heard from one of his friends that read somewhere - seriously, that's how it was descibed - there are half-height SATA enclosures that contain a removable tray for a hard drive and include a slot-loading (permanent) optical drive within. Cost is not an issue. Removable drive size/type/interface are not an issue - SSD, 2.5" drive, any kind, any size is OK. (An external enclosure for either the hard drive or the optical drive is a no-go due to less-than-optimal equipment accountability at the customer site, Kensington locks, superglue, or other drastic measures notwithstanding.)
NewEgg, TigerDirect, CDW, Google Shopping - can't find one.
The only requirements are a removable hard drive with an optical slot or loader. Fans, locks, air filters, LEDs are all optional at this point.
Have you heard of such a thing? (And please, stop talking to the boss' neighbors' friends about it.)
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If cost isn't an issue get a removable tray and an external USB CDROM drive, or just replace the whole computer with one that meets your needs.
posted by mhoye at 2:08 AM on June 25, 2011