New Dell
Jul 17, 2020 10:59:04 #
rehess wrote:
Honestly, the day of optical media, like the day o... (show quote)
I still find MDisks (in 100GB size) very useful for archiving.
Jul 17, 2020 11:52:39 #
dpfoto wrote:
When I download a program, I then copy it to a CD. I then number the CD and enter it into my Excel "CD Library" file. Problem is, I now have 585 CDs & DVDs in my library.
The spreadsheet also shows the key codes for each program.
The spreadsheet also shows the key codes for each program.
But do you have a drive to read those disks?
Jul 17, 2020 12:07:56 #
The drive just arrived, and I think it's going back. Although there seems to be a pop-out on the front of the computer for the drive, there is no black cover plate and button. The "kit" includes a 6" piece of plastic but no directions about how to use it with the drive. I'll take a look inside and see if I can figure it out.
Nope! No good. Although there is a cut-out in the front of the metal chassis, there is no provision for a cut-out in the front of the plastic cover. I would have to cut an opening with a Dremel, and without a cover plate or button, it wouldn't be practical. The pop-out panel I saw is only inside the front plastic cover, and it's sized for the larger, old style drive. There is no provision for an opening on the outside of the front cover. The front cover consists of an inner panel and an outer panel with space for ventilation between the two. And I think I would need more than that 6" piece of plastic to install it.
Nope! No good. Although there is a cut-out in the front of the metal chassis, there is no provision for a cut-out in the front of the plastic cover. I would have to cut an opening with a Dremel, and without a cover plate or button, it wouldn't be practical. The pop-out panel I saw is only inside the front plastic cover, and it's sized for the larger, old style drive. There is no provision for an opening on the outside of the front cover. The front cover consists of an inner panel and an outer panel with space for ventilation between the two. And I think I would need more than that 6" piece of plastic to install it.
Jul 17, 2020 12:18:56 #
I bought and received a couple days ago a Dell Inspiron 15 5000 laptop to replace my old Dell laptop. I knew when ordering that it didn't have an optical drive so I ordered Dell's external USB DVD drive for it.
I got the model that has an SSD hard drive but it is kind of small, GB wise. No HDD. I was planning on using an external USB hard drive to use as storage for loading programs (Apps?) that I use but I don't know how to do that. Whenever I install a program (App?) it tells me where on the hard drive the program files will be stored. So I'm thinking that maybe I can specify some other place for file storage, like an external hard drive, which I have a couple USB-3, 1-TB drives. I will have to install something to see if that is the case.
I got the model that has an SSD hard drive but it is kind of small, GB wise. No HDD. I was planning on using an external USB hard drive to use as storage for loading programs (Apps?) that I use but I don't know how to do that. Whenever I install a program (App?) it tells me where on the hard drive the program files will be stored. So I'm thinking that maybe I can specify some other place for file storage, like an external hard drive, which I have a couple USB-3, 1-TB drives. I will have to install something to see if that is the case.
Jul 17, 2020 12:23:18 #
EdJ0307 wrote:
I bought and received a couple days ago a Dell Ins... (show quote)
You'd be surprised how many programs can fit into what seems like a small space. My main computer has a 500GB SSD, and with LR, PS, Dreamweaver, WordPerfect, DVD labeling programs, and lots more, the drive is less than half full. My son has a 256GB SSD. Although he doesn't have as many programs installed as I do, his C drive is also less than half full. When I built these two machines, SSDs cost almost three times what they cost now, so I didn't go wild.
As for the external drive -
https://www.google.com/search?q=installing+programs+onto+an+external+drive&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS907US907&oq=installing+programs+onto+an+external+drive&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.13910j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Jul 17, 2020 13:06:57 #
jerryc41 wrote:
You'd be surprised how many programs can fit into ... (show quote)
The SSD on this laptop I got is only 101GB which I didn't pay enough attention to. I don't put too much on the laptop, most of my stuff is on my desktop that has a 1TB HDD and it's less that half full.
Thanks for link, it will be useful. Or I may look into replacing the SSD with a larger one but I don't know what kind of hassle that would be. Even a 250GB like your son's would be better.
Jul 17, 2020 14:26:18 #
Jerry, I bought the XPS8930 back in January. It came with an optical drive included in the price.
Jul 17, 2020 15:05:12 #
Jim Plogger wrote:
Jerry, I bought the XPS8930 back in January. It came with an optical drive included in the price.
The times they are a changin'. Still, it was cheaper to buy an external from Amazon than to add one when I bought the Dell. The Asus drive from Amazon will also work with M-Disks.
Looking at the Dell site just now, I see the 8930 does come with an optical drive. The cost for me to add one would have been $49, but the external from Amazon costs $22. That's one thing I don't like about the Dell site. You can't just go there and find a computer and then add what you want. They make too many changes too often, so when I go back, everything is different.
Jul 17, 2020 15:32:11 #
jerryc41 wrote:
The times they are a changin'. Still, it was chea... (show quote)
Amen to that. I looked at the site for a couple of months before making my purchase and the offering changed several times.
Jul 17, 2020 17:25:39 #
Bought same thing from Costco. t had DVD drive. There are many USB ports on the computer just buy a external drive and use it that way.
Jul 17, 2020 17:28:58 #
Started off ordering from Dell. Waited over month and a half. Upon delivery date got message it would be at least another month. Said to hell with that so bought from Costco. Did not get exactly what i wanted from Costco but close.
Jul 17, 2020 18:11:32 #
DirtFarmer wrote:
You can get optical drives with a USB connection.
I got a Dell (my first) desktop about 6 months ago. Bought a DVD drive with USB connection on E Bay for $18
Jul 17, 2020 23:28:42 #
wrangler5
Loc: Missouri
I bought a Dell desktop a long time ago (it came with Windows ME, if any of you remember that one - frequently referred to as Why Me? - although I replaced it with Win 7 shortly thereafter) and discovered that it used proprietary bays for hard drives so you had to buy extra Dell brackets to install an extra drive in an open bay. They also used an uncommon type of RAM which was available but more expensive than what most other PCs used.
I've bought a lot of computers since then, but I've never even looked at another Dell.
I've bought a lot of computers since then, but I've never even looked at another Dell.
Jul 18, 2020 07:15:52 #
wrangler5 wrote:
I bought a Dell desktop a long time ago (it came w... (show quote)
I’ve always had HPs until this one. So far so good.
Having a choice is what makes the world go round
Jul 18, 2020 09:41:19 #
paulrph1
Loc: Washington, Utah
jerryc41 wrote:
Thanks! I should have noticed that an optical dri... (show quote)
I HAD a similar problem and we bought a new car two years ago and it came without a CD players. We live in a remote area where sometimes good music is hard to get. But they are happy to sell me a subscription to a radio network. But I have plenty of CD that I would like to be able to use. I frankly do not like someone else dictating my life to me.
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