albook 12" upgrade question

On Apple's website, you can chose it as a BTO options, but I don't think once you get it that you will be able to upgrade it (or at least easily). The PowerBooks are so compact that they are not meant for upgrading anything except RAM. That is with most laptops, though. The HD is sometimes upgradable, but not slot-loading optical drives.

I assume you mean an upgrade after you actually have bought a 12" with a combo drive. Since it is possible to get a 12" with a superdrive, a superdrive could be installed later; however, this would be difficult. Since the superdrive in the powerbooks is specially designed to fit in a notebook, it is not something you can just go and buy anywhere. You would first have to find an apple authorized reseller who could order you the powerbook superdrive from apple, and then you would have to have it installed or install it yourself. So while it is possible, it is not very practical and if you foresee yourself needed a superdrive go ahead and buy a powerbook with a superdrive. If you have already bought one, see if you can return it or buy an external drive.

I must say, although they were bulkier, I preferred the PowerBook G3's design where you could have two removable drives, a drive and a battery, or two batteries. Although not as asthetically pleasing, it at least gave you expandability. I think that you could even put a HD in those slots.
Maybe they could have at least incorperated it into a low-end PB or high-end iBook. Their choice, though.

I too prefer some aspects of the powerbook g3's. I still have my wallstreet powerbook which i use on a daily basis with os x installed. It is heavy but when i compare it to my olf 5300 and some others that people I know have had it does not feel quite so heavy. They have two hot swappable bays in which you can put batteries, a dvd drive, a cd drive, a zip drive, an extra removable hard drive, and several other things. The lack of hot swappable bays is one of the few major things that I do not like about the new powerbooks, but with decreased size and weight some things must be sacrificed.

Even slot loading drives are upgradable, with time. MCE technologies in California offers slot loading drive upgrades. It is still too soon for your unit. Honestly your better getting an external unit for dvd burning it will be faster and more effecient. Optical drives will be a thing of the past in the future. good luck.