Do any stores/sights actually have the DRU500A?

[Greg12]

I've been to about 16 websites and all but one say they don't have it.


Dell.com doesn't say if they have it or not.

[kitty]

In the US the drives seem to be getting out slowly. Dell has some bargain ones for a day or two. They seem to be popular & hence the retailers may be selling out quickly. There are other threads on the forums discussing this drive.

[Joel Ertl]

I just got back from CompUSA. They had two of them on the shelf. They were asking $349.95 for them.

I'm waiting for all the bug reports to come in before I seriously look at it.

-Joe

[troyvcd1]

I gotta agree. I am waiting till all these people do the BETA testing on the drives and media.

[byrdmaniac69]

Best buy has 5 of them in stock, at least they did last friday. I am waiting for the external usb 2.0 version.

[hxc3634]

Today I got a mail from Dell about Sony Dru500A.
The shipment is delayed to Nov. 29.
I hate Dell. Anyone got DRU500A from Dell?

[Thwiipp]

yeah i got the same email today too, i hate them!! I want them to die, they thinl that they'll get away with not giving it to me for that price they got a another thing coming,cause i am not paying 350 for it. but damn it i wanted it by birthday which is this week( it was supposed to be a gift) now i have to wait another damn month, I HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!

[mlcarson]

I got the same e-mail today from Dell stating 11/29 as the new date. I thought it was a typo for October 29th until I called them and they confirmed it. I have it on order for a price of $253.06 but am considering just dropping the order in favor of one of the new upcoming Pioneer DVR-105's.

I'm assuming the DVR-105 will be compatible with the same media that the DVR-104 is plus the 4X stuff whenever it comes out. It's a big advantage at least knowing which media will work. It seems to be a crap shoot based on reports of the new Sony DRU-500A owners.

I'd also like to know from anybody with the DRU-500A if this drive supports lossless link buffer underrun protection while doing DVD-R/RW; I believe the Pioneer A04/A05 does. This would appear to be an advantage for Pioneer if the Sony lacks it. The lack of +R/RW is a disadvantage for Pioneer but not one that matters a lot as long as the -R/RW media is cheaper.

So anybody else that ordered from Dell considering a Pioneer DVR-104 or 105? Or is it worth it to wait?

[FooManChu]

Please DELL, please DO NOT DELAY my SONY DRU500A!!! I have not received an email as of yet and my drive is supposed to ship on the 23rd of this month (October). I PRAY I DO NOT GET THAT EMAIL stating NOV. 29! PLEASE HELP ME GOD! :>~ Had major problems with a Pioneer DVR-104, sent it back and ordered one of these through Dell and damn I'll be pissed if I sat waiting for the 23rd to come and they send me an email stating Nov. 29! If they do they lost my business forever! If so I'll just pay the extra $75 at my local CompUSA store.

FooManChu

[RexEscape]

I have the Sony DRU500A from CompUSA $350. I say, get it now! As for bugs, let me be the first to sumbit my beta test report...

So far, it's great. I have had no problems with it. I have been burning and reading off of it with different types and brands of media. The software package okay too, not the best, but not the worst. I am currently 'backing up' my DVD movies and have burnt a few already. The final DVD discs have been read by numerous DVD players. Because of the current DVD burning technology, the lead-out (or closing of the disc) is slow, but acceptable. As for backing up data, it's great as well. 4.7GB on a single DVD-R, DVD-RW or DVD+R, DVD+RW is awesome! (And of course, you can still use your CD-R/RW discs.)

[hxc3634]

Finally I got Sony Dru500A from Dell just now. They sent an email saying the delivery date will be Nov. 29 but they sent DRU500 without any notice.
I believe many guys ordered DRU500 from Dell. You will get it soon.

[DigiToast]

Hi, for all of you who are having problems with delayed orders and such, the reason behind all of this is the West Coast Dock Strike that is currently ongoing. There isn't a shortage of drives or anything; rather, the problem is that there are thousands of drives sitting on the docks and on blockaded ships that aren't being unloaded. Thus, they can't be distributed for selling. I went through holy hell for three weeks trying to get my drive and finally got mine today. Your best bet on getting one of these is to call up a large nationwide chain such as CompUSA/BestBuy/CircuitCity and ask them to search your local stores for you, and if they find one, then order it immediately so nobody else can take it. Before this, I put in orders to Dell, Harmony Computers, Office Depot(Computers4Sure), and PCNation. They would tell me that they had stock, but then I would get backordered anyways. The most maddening thing that happened was Office Depot had over 200 drives in stock on the web site, so I ordered one and a few hours later I was informed that they really didn't have the drives; blaming it all on a "computer glitch."

Edit: Forgot to mention that I got my drive from Circuit City by calling their toll free number. It cost the full retail 349, but I was so sick of waiting that I took it anyways.

[dlqballer]

My order is on delay as well from Dell . . .oh well. I could get one from Comp USA or Best Buy . . .but nah. The drive's there are 349.99 plus 21.00 tax . . .no thanks! That would be like paying 100 bucks more. I know I would kick myself later on if I did that. What get's me is that I probably could have gotten the drive from Best Buy on Oct. 14 with a 10% discount, but wasn't paying attention. I figure by the time I get the drive a lot of the software out there will be compatible with it. I know it is hard to resist the urge to buy it now . . .but I am fighting it. Delayed Dell people, fight the urge with me. Join hands! Unless they push the shipping date past Nov. 29, then I will call them up and verbally abuse them.

[ronbo613]

Hello-I've had the drive for a week or so, it's worth $350. I got it at Best Buy, the employees said the drives were sold as soon as they hit the shelves. Usually, I don't go for the crash test dummy role, but, for a PC video enthusiast, this DVD writer is a dream come true. Seems to work with a wide range of DVD media. Bought a $60 Apex 1100W at Wal Mart to check the DVD projects. I didn't like the MyDVD software, can't wait for the RecordNow software upgrade that comes with the drive. I'm not suprised these drives are back-ordered. No question some of these drives are on ships off the West Coast, along with my new Specialized mountain bike. Win some, lose some.

[Digifreak]

Ordered my DRU-500A from Dell Oct. 4 for $267 with tax and just got it delivered yesterday...WooooHoooo!!!

[Thwiipp]

Damn it wheres mine i ordered on the first