What's a half-height drive?

[EatMoreChicken]

I've seen this term used a lot lately in reference to DVD-rom, DVD+/-RW, CD-RW drives etc...
http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article1.asp?datePublish=2003/06/18&pages=15&seq=78

I've seen articles say they fit in internal 5.25" drives. Can two of these drives fit in a regular slot?

[CDRecorder]

A half-hight drive is an old term for a normal 5.25 inch drive such as the LTR-48125W.

[dhc014]

When I read it today it made me wonder why the term hasn't died yet...

[cfitz]

Hard to believe something like the history of 5.25" drives is already lost in the mists of time.

The original 5.25" floppy drives, which I believe were the genesis of the 5.25" drive bay, were twice as high as what is now the norm:

http://www.old-computers.com/museum/com ... st=1&c=571
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/com ... st=1&c=274
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/com ... ?st=1&c=18

Thus, what we now consider the norm is called a half-height drive because it is half the height of the original, making the confusing answer to your question be: yes, two of these can fit in a regular 5.25" drive bay. But, that is based on a "regular" bay being the original size of 5.25" drive bays.

The answer you really want is that a half-height drive is the current "normal" size, and only one will fit in a current "regular" slot.

cfitz

[dodecahedron]

dang, cfitz, those are some old computers!

my Apple IIe already had half hight 5.25" drives.

[cfitz]

Yeah, they are, at least in computer time...

Here is my first computer:
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/com ... st=1&c=813

And its insides:
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/com ... st=1&c=860

cfitz