Does the macbook require a "non-standard" 9.5mm _optical drive_?

[fashion]

The combo drive on my macbook is severely crunched and won't even let a CD slide in without a lot of force, so I need to replace. I am seeing a few reports on the interwebs that the Macbook, as opposed to Macbook Pro only has room for a thinner-than-normal 9.5mm-tall optical drive, not the normal 12.5mm-tall ones.

Is it true?
Has anyone had success installing a 12.5mm-tall drive?
Where in the world can I buy this 9.5mm-tall style?

I'm otherwise loving my new macbook. I came as a Windows power user and programmer. OS X is just way better for development!

 

[TheStu]

The combo drive on my macbook is severely crunched and won't even let a CD slide in without a lot of force, so I need to replace. I am seeing a few reports on the interwebs that the Macbook, as opposed to Macbook Pro only has room for a thinner-than-normal 9.5mm-tall optical drive, not the normal 12.5mm-tall ones.

Is it true?
Has anyone had success installing a 12.5mm-tall drive?
Where in the world can I buy this 9.5mm-tall style?

I'm otherwise loving my new macbook. I came as a Windows power user and programmer. OS X is just way better for development!

Both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook use the slim 9.5mm drives since the MBp is thinner than the MB, the old PowerBooks and iBooks used the thicker drives, but no more. Google MacBook SuperDrive (or ComboDrive) and you should get some results. Bear in mind that it won't be cheap. Apple is the only pretty much the only company that is using these drives, hence the mark up

 

[ab2650]

The combo drive on my macbook is severely crunched and won't even let a CD slide in without a lot of force, so I need to replace. I am seeing a few reports on the interwebs that the Macbook, as opposed to Macbook Pro only has room for a thinner-than-normal 9.5mm-tall optical drive, not the normal 12.5mm-tall ones.

Is it true?
Has anyone had success installing a 12.5mm-tall drive?
Where in the world can I buy this 9.5mm-tall style?

I'm otherwise loving my new macbook. I came as a Windows power user and programmer. OS X is just way better for development!

Here's a replacement drive for the MacBook/MBP for around $190... Pricey for a drive, but, yeah...

I'd consider your other option: Go external if you can't justify spending that much money.