CD/DVD drive case for netbook?

[Gary]

I recently bought a netbook and find myself occasionally missing the
capability to use CD or DVD for reading and/or writing.

I also have some old desktop PCs which no longer work well, but which
have functioning CD/DVD drives in them.

Can I buy some sort of external case into which I can mount one of my
CD/DVD drives and plug it into a USB2 outlet? Can anyone recommend
such a case that's not too expensive?

 

[jinxy]

I recently bought a netbook and find myself occasionally missing the
capability to use  CD or DVD for reading and/or writing.

I also have some old desktop PCs which no longer work well, but which
have functioning CD/DVD drives in them.

Can I buy some sort of external case into which I can mount one of my
CD/DVD drives and plug it into a USB2 outlet?  Can anyone recommend
such a case that's not too expensive?

A 5.25 internal drive is not USB powered. You would be better off with
something like this, and the price is right.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4792128&CatId=483
check it out and see what you think.
-J

 

[Mike Easter]

I also have some old desktop PCs which no longer work well, but which
have functioning CD/DVD drives in them.

Should we assume that these old opticals are IDE/pATA or are they SATA?

Every time I have shopped for something like a case for an existing hdd
or optical, the on-sale price of an external was less than the cost of
such a case, probably because I would like for a case to go both ways
IDE and SATA.

So, if I were going to do it, I would do it without the case with an
IDE/SATA adapter and PS.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812232002 VANTEC
CB-ISATAU2 SATA/IDE to USB 2.0 Adapter $20 (on sale and free shipping)
<maybe I'll buy that>

 

[GMAN]

A 5.25 internal drive is not USB powered. You would be better off with
something like this, and the price is right.
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=
=3D4792128&CatId=3D483
check it out and see what you think.
-J

It can only do DVD+R and +RW? What an obsolete POS.

if all he cares about is a reader then fine, but for a burner to do only +
formats in 2010 , fuggettaboutit! single format drives went out last
century.

 

[wilby]

I recently bought a netbook and find myself occasionally missing the
capability to use CD or DVD for reading and/or writing.

I also have some old desktop PCs which no longer work well, but which
have functioning CD/DVD drives in them.

Can I buy some sort of external case into which I can mount one of my
CD/DVD drives and plug it into a USB2 outlet? Can anyone recommend such
a case that's not too expensive?

I solved this with an old external IDE hard drive box that connects to a
computer with an usb cable.

I removed the case from the external box and kept only the electronics
circuit board and inner cables. I also had to keep the box's wall wart
power supply to run it.

Next I plugged an IDE CD/DVD drive into it rather than an IDE hard drive.

It instantly worked. It is ugly but was made from old surplus gear at no
cost.

I carry it around in a bag to make sure I don't lose parts of it, and
also to hide it from those who enjoy laughing at it.

Wilby

 

[Mike Easter]

I carry it around in a bag to make sure I don't lose parts of it, and
also to hide it from those who enjoy laughing at it.

Ha!