Interfaces for DVD drives: What difference between ATAPI/E-IDE and IDE?

Question

I noticed that these different Interfaces were listed for two Plextor DVD drives I am considering buying one of. Will my Dimension 8200 take either one, and if not, how can I find out which? The Technical Specifications for my computer list only two 40-pin connectors on PCI local bus, for the IDE channels.
Sorry for asking so many questions. I keep noticing new things I know nothing about, but which might affect my choice of drive.

Predator · Answer

Hi Biwako,

In todays market, they are considered the same, some use one name, others another.
For the specs, click on the CD/RW link in my post and scroll to Section 7.

Your system has two IDE channels which will support 4 IDE device, a Primary Channel, used mostly for all Hard drives and a Secondary Channel used for your optical drives. Basically, speaking for the two interfaces we are now seeing, Plextor has the IDE drives and Serial drives, you need IDE, example Plextor 712a (IDE) and Plextor 712SA (Serial or SATA)

Best Regards

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I neverliked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

CD/RW Link

biwako · Answer

Thanks again. I had already checked out your CD/RW pages after finding a link to them in someone else's post. I saved them in my Firefox 'Scrapbook', and it looks like they are going to be very useful. It is great that people like you bother to take the time to write things to help others.

Predator · Answer

Hi Biwako,
You are welcome ! (to all your posts)

Good luck with your system and the drive!

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do and the eyesight to tell the
difference.

CD/RW Link

Storage, Drives & Media

Interfaces for DVD drives: What difference between ATAPI/E-IDE and IDE?

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