X31 looks great, but...

[aamsel]

The X31 looks like a great choice, but:
1.) I don't know that I could ever get used to Trackpoint.
2.) I would need the media bay, or an external CD-RW with me most of the time.

The X31 does look a lot better to me than the X40, but the X40 has a thinner overal solution with the media bay attached.

How do most of you with X31's deal with CD-RW?? Do you get a non-IBM lightweight reader/burner (which one) and then does the reader/burner also have re-chargeable batteries that you have to make sure are charged up all the time??
Which is the best overall CD-RW solution for use with the X31, and is it IBM brand or aftermarket??

My fear is: if I need to be carting around an external CD-RW and a mouse, would I be better off with a larger unit that has CD-RW and trackpad built-in.

Thanks very much in advance for your reply,
Andrew
Austin, TX

[em500]

If you need an optical drive most of the time and you're more comfortable with a trackpad, I think you'd be better off with a T40/T41, (the T42 seems rather big).
Some USB CDRW drives are very compact though. IBM's one for the X40 is powered through through the extra port near the USB port, but it's quite pricey. Lugging around a media bay all the time seems to defeat the purpose of getting an ultraportable.

I rarely use CDROM with my X20. For small file exchange, I use a USB flash drive, for larger stuff a 2.5" HD in a portable USB enclosure. For installs from CDROM I put it in my desktop CDROM drive and share it over the network. Even software that insist on having a CDR available can usually be fooled with something like Daemon Tools.

[Txiasaeia]

I rarely use CDROM with my X20. For small file exchange, I use a USB flash drive, for larger stuff a 2.5" HD in a portable USB enclosure. For installs from CDROM I put it in my desktop CDROM drive and share it over the network. Even software that insist on having a CDR available can usually be fooled with something like Daemon Tools.

I pretty much do the same thing, except I install/copy EVERYTHING over my network. It takes about the same time to install MS Office 2003 over the network as it does with a physical CD-ROM attached to the system.

As for the trackpoint: it's a matter of personal preference, I guess. I've used the trackpoint on my X31 for two weeks now and I absolutely love it, much better than my old 350C. I'm glad the trackpoint works well for me, because I would never buy a portable mouse for my notepad - the entire reason I got an X31 is so that I could bring with me a small, portable notebook wherever I went without lugging around accessories. If that's not your thing, then you might want to get an external CDRW and mouse, or just go ahead and get a T-series.