StarTech.com USB 3.0 to Slimline SATA ODD Enclosure for Blu-ray and DVD ROM Drives, Solid Aluminum (SLSODDU33B)

Pros: Nice and Solid. Easy to install the drive. USB 3.0 is nice, though I don't think it makes a huge difference in speed.

Cons: It would be nice if the back was solid aluminum, like the body, not plastic, but I'm nit-picking.

Overall Review: I am using as an external drive in our conference room, so we can insert disks (e.g. watch DVDs instead of work) If you're planing to use as a portable, it might be a bit heavy, as I said, very solid.

Pros: I wanted to salvage the internal CD/DVD burner that came with my laptop instead of purchasing a new external one as it works perfectly fine. The second bay in my laptop now has a dedicated storage HDD and the CD/DVD drive was only used on occasion. This enclosure allows me to continue using it when needed and not need to remove the storage HDD to use the CD/DVD burner. Here were my requirements for an external enclosure: -One cable to connect and power the external enclosure to the laptop to reduce the number of cables I carry in my laptop bag. -Metal enclosure, not plastic. The StarTech SMLSOPTB fit those requirements and looks good while doing so.

Cons: The front bezel slightly protrudes and there is a gap where the drive has a small step on the side. Not really Cons but just minor details. Can't be perfect since it's an universal enclosure.

Overall Review: The pig-tailed USB cable included is a nice touch for those laptops that can't power it with one usb port. I can still eject the tray using the button on the CD drive.

Pros: Solid. Cable long enough for my portable.

Cons: Ended up breaking the plastic tab to remove the back bezel. It did not make a difference on the final installation.

Pros: Much higher quality than i had anticipated, though it looks in the photo as if the chassis is plastic its actually metal. The installation was simple (once i stopped trying to rush through it and looked at the instructions). Using this with a debian install worked out of the box.

Cons: requires power from 2 usb ports to be 100% relaible, not really the fault of the device, an internal dvd drive just takes more juice than the usb spec provides, but its something that should be considered.

Overall Review: A nice product to pair up with a optical drive bay hdd caddie, i rarely use the dvd drive, but now its still possible.

Pros: --Very sturdy, metal case. --Not much effort required to install. (Read the directions, though!) --Works.

Cons: --Doesn't come with a covering over the front. You need to have your own bezel. Granted, most drives you'd be using come with one, and of course you can always do what I did, which is get one online for just a few bucks. --Takes up two USBs, which to be fair, is par for the course.

Overall Review: The two USBs split at one end of the cable--there isn't a ton of distance between the two (maybe a little less than a foot?) so make sure your USBs are close enough to each other. If you have a laptop with one USB on each side (e.g. some macbooks) this won't work for you.

Pros: Easy to install Comes with dual USB cable for power

Cons: Did not include faceplate for the drive

Overall Review: I had a dead Dell laptop with a CD/DVD burner and Blu-ray (read only) drive. Easy to install into the enclosure, and it works perfectly to play back Blu-ray movies with Cyberlink software. The only downside was since the original Dell faceplate was a weird slanted shape I had to find one that was flat from my spare parts. But once I found one that fit it has worked perfectly.

Pros: Rugged metal exterior. Inexpensive. Can recycle/reuse laptop optical drives. Portable.

Cons: Modifications were required to get a recycled DELL branded (Phillips-Lite-on) CD/DVD to fit. The drive release had to be removed as well as a section of thin gauge metal from the original release side of the DELL drive. (Thank you Dremel.) This mod only took about 10 minutes once I pondered the situation.

Overall Review: Consider yourself fortunate if your slimline drive fits without any modification and without any gap. As another reviewer pointed out this enclosure is a "universal fit" type item. Face it, many laptop drive bezels are not completely flat and have a contour to match the design of the laptop; as was the case with the DELL drive,and a latch that had to be removed. The result was not a "perfect" fit, but not a deal breaker because the drive functions just fine for my purpose.

Pros: It's Black. It gives my Slim DVD-Writer Drive a home. It's easy to install. And if you don't understand the instructions, then you don't think as much as I do!

Overall Review: I finally got my slim DVD burner drive to come out by itself, you need to apply just one screw to to rear left side where the enclosure meets the rear left side hole of the slim optical drive inside! And if you can't figure that out then you are more dumb than a Dodo(Doe-Doe) bird!