New XPS 15z Laptop - no Bluray option?

It is true, that like Apple, which doesn't offer BluRay in Macbooks, Dell isn't offering it in these either.

As of November the only 9.5m blu-ray drive I've found for sale has been the Lenovo one that, sadly, is a tray loader and even if it would interface correctly wouldn't fit.  Someone needs to step up to the plate and market a slot-loader.  You'd think Dell would insist on finding a supplier???

Hi everyone,

When designing a laptop, we can choose from two different form factors for slot load optical drives: 12.7mm and 9.5mm (the mm refers to the height of the drive). The 9.5mm drive is the best choice when thinness and portability are the goals, which is why we included it in the XPS 15z. Unfortunately, none of the optical drive manufacturers across the industry offer a 9.5mm slot load drive that supports BluRay.

Thanks,

Amy

That's a shame because that is a deal breaker for me.

You would think that a company the size of and with the clout of Dell could approach one of the manufacturers of 9.5mm tray load BR-DVD drives and have them create a slot-load version. This would allow Dell to market a product that is truly superior to all the competition's offerings. I'd buy a 15z in a heart beat if it had a BR drive.

It may in fact not be possible to produce a drive that size - blueray drives produce a lot of heat.

There are in fact 9.5mm BR drives. They are all tray-loaded. There don't seem to be any slot-load. Seems like Dell could get one of the manufacturers that builds the tray-loaded ones to make them slot-loaded.

If and when a blu ray drive becomes available the upgrade is very quick. Just 10 screws on the base cover then 4 more on the drive, should take about 10 minutes. 

Looks promising:

www.ebay.com/.../180883494492

If anyone is not worried about the cost ($400 as I type this) the unit being sold in the link looks like it might just be the answer.  If anyone tries it I hope they post the results here as many of us are hoping for a BD solution.