[rescue] Re: Anyone know anything about Dell laptop parts

[Robert Novak]

On Wed, 15 Jan 2003, Curtis H. Wilbar Jr. wrote:

> I have a CDRW/DVD combo drive and I'm trying to figure out what Dell
> it is for....
> 
> Dell as a company is absolutely no help in this area, and my frustration
> in trying to get this simple answer will seal the fate that I will never
> purchase or recommend a Dell to anyone.

Sorry to hear this. They have good service, and their laptops are pretty
good as well. I'm on my fifth one.

Try finding useful info on upgrades and such for Sony Vaio PCG F series
laptops and you'll think Dell is waiting outside your door to give you
personal services and a shoeshine at the same time by comparison. :) 

> It is intuitively obvious that Dell does not have a great part numbering
> system like IBM (not that IBM can't be confusing with p/n and fru p/n and
> different #s for each manufacturer of some items even when they are 
> interchangeable).

Actually it is intuitively obvious that Dell has a similar system to IBM.
The batteries for my old Latitude CPx had six different part numbers, but
the web made it fairly easy to find which ones were appropriate. Dell
doesn't make it as easy to look up the part numbers, and the stuff on
their online store doesn't always match up with what they sell, but it's
not as bad as it sounds. 

And Dell has a wonderful serial number system that lets you look up when a
given system shipped and how it was configured. I can punch in some of my
486 Dell acquisitions and find out what OS they had and so forth, and if I
buy a used laptop I can check its warranty status online without hassle. I
think IBM only lets you look up the model number, and see what range it
might have come with.

Of course, YMMV. But read on:

> It is a Toshiba SDR-2102
> It has a sticker with:
> DP/N JP-04M452-26401-1CD-G439
> It has another sticker with:
> 0007H491-38380-21G-P000
> The face has a sticker on the inside of it:
> AP883174000 JP01/12/27 REV:0C
> 
> All the other stickers/info seem to be Toshiba's info.
> 
> I know it is not for Inspiron.  I'm not sure, but it might be for
> a Lattitude ????

Could be for Inspiron. Google for "Dell SDR-2102" and you'll see reviews
of a Dell Inspiron 2650 with that combo drive in it. There's also
word of the drive shipping with Latitude C810s. 

Whether it's the same DPN number or not, I can't tell you. I have separate
DVD and CDRW drives for my I8200 so my part numbers won't be of much use.

Bug me offlist if you'd consider selling it to me. I don't *need* it but
I'd consider buying it as a spare or to go in my docking station.

--Rob

Robert Novak, Indyramp Consulting * rnovak at indyramp.com * indyramp.com/~rnovak
	"I don't want to doubt you, Know everything about you
      I don't want to sit Across the table from you Wishing I could run."