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Why are DVD drives so BIG?

MacTruck

MacTruck

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2005
1,241
0
One Endless Loop
They have dvd-rw drives as think as 1/4 inch. They are in all laptops and can achieve the same speeds as the desktop models. So why do all computers a have the big ones? Why do they even keep making them. I look at my superdrive in my G5 and think, man that is a great space for 4 more hard drives, if only they used a laptop superdrive there. These things have been the same size since the first CD-ROM drive was invented. Time to ruduce the size don't you think? Same goes for video cards and motherboards and while we are at it ram. A 1gb ram module is like 6 inches long for a G5 but 2 inches long for a powerbook and they are both the same ram. Why oh why?
 
ChrisBrightwell

ChrisBrightwell

macrumors 68020
Apr 5, 2004
2,294
0
Huntsville, AL
Because those 5.25" drives are a standard size. And they're cheaper.

It helps with heat dissipation, as well. And the tray takes a lot of room compared to a slot-loading drive.
 
T

thehuncamunca

macrumors 6502
Jul 9, 2003
447
0
NJ
cost silly

look at the cost of a 60GB laptop hard drive compared to a desktop one

it costs less to make larger (as in size) ram modules, hard drives, optical drives, etc

that's why there's a price premium on a laptop

MacTruck said:
They have dvd-rw drives as think as 1/4 inch. They are in all laptops and can achieve the same speeds as the desktop models. So why do all computers a have the big ones? Why do they even keep making them. I look at my superdrive in my G5 and think, man that is a great space for 4 more hard drives, if only they used a laptop superdrive there. These things have been the same size since the first CD-ROM drive was invented. Time to ruduce the size don't you think? Same goes for video cards and motherboards and while we are at it ram. A 1gb ram module is like 6 inches long for a G5 but 2 inches long for a powerbook and they are both the same ram. Why oh why?
Click to expand...
 
MacTruck

MacTruck

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 27, 2005
1,241
0
One Endless Loop
I don't believe its cost at all. There alre alot less parts in a laptop superdrive then there are in a desktop model. Less material too. They just charge more because they can not because it cost them any more to make them. Lapops mostly cost higher because of the screen. Look at at the mac mini. That is a super tiny computer but is way cheap.

No its not cost. 5.25 standard is why but that can be changed over night with an adapter. Heck you could fit 3 laptop drives in one 5.25 bay.
 
rainman::|:|

rainman::|:|

macrumors 603
Feb 2, 2002
5,438
2
iowa
yes, quite simply small costs money. Go look at how a standard RAM chip works... then look at how differently laptop RAM is manufactured. The processes used, and more importantly the margin of error, are less forgiving (more defects because of a harder process means more cost to the consumer). We could all use the smaller product if that extra .25x1x4 inches really mattered, but computers would cost more. Ditto for most of the other things you mentioned.

Have patience. Computers are still a blip in even recent history. You'll have a Mac small enough to inject subcutaneously in due time :)
 
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