Hi,

I'm interested to know if my machine will do LightScribe and a bit of
general background on the LightScribe idea and who the heck thought of
this! :-)

-Mao

Hi,
thanks for the question.

LightScribe is a laser-etching labeling technology that enables
creation of lables on CD or DVD discs using the same laser that burns
the actual data. The operation takes place inside the CD/DVD drive.
The technology was developed by the Hewlett-Packard Development
Company.

Once the data is written to the disc you need to remove the disc, flip
it over and return it to the drive to complete the etching process.

From LightScribe.com:
"LightScribe technology is an integrated system that combines the CD
or DVD drive of your LightScribe-enabled computer with specially
coated discs and enhanced disc-burning software to produce precise,
laser-etched labels...with LightScribe, the disc is the label. This
amazing technology is the no-hassle way to create elegant labels for
all your CDs and DVDs. Simply burn your music mix, digital-video/photo
archives, or business application. Then flip the disc and burn your
own unique label".
http://www.lightscribe.com/about.aspx

How the technology works:
"Your LightScribe-enabled CD/DVD disc drive contains a special laser
that pumps light energy into a thin dye coating on the label side of
the disc. The light from the laser causes a chemical change in the dye
coating that shows up as a visible point on the disc. With laser
precision, LightScribe delivers closely controlled light energy to
multiple points on the disc as it spins in the drive. The result is a
high-resolution reproduction of the artwork, text, or photos you
composed in the software application."
http://www.lightscribe.com/howlightscribeworks.aspx


A Flash video clip presenting the idea and technique:
http://www.lightscribe.com/flash_video/lsFlash.aspx


"A number of manufacturers have already licensed the technology to
integrate into their DVD drives, media, and software. Among them are
Hitachi-LG, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, MicroVision, Moser Baer India, and
Sonic Solutions. HP estimates that a drive that supports the new
technology will cost as little as an additional $10, and a disc will
cost about a dime more...LightScribe differs from Yamaha's Disc T@2
technology, introduced over a year ago on the CRW-F1 CD-RW drive. In
that case, the laser burns a label on the disc's underside, reducing
the amount of data the disc can store. Also, to view the label, you
must expose the disc's underside, making it easier to compromise the
data it contains with accidental scratches or scuffs."
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,114211,00.asp


The Ultrabay Slim CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo supplied with IBM ThinkPad T43
does not support LightScribe. But you can find external USB or
Firewire CD/DVD burners that can be connected to the laptop. Also the
term 'lightscribe' does not return any results on the IBM website.
http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=4611686018425075494&storeId=10000001&langId=-1&categoryId=2049168&dualCurrId=1000073&catalogId=-840

Example of a LightScribe external DVD/CD drive:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0007LXRC0/ref=e_de_a_td/002-9394381-9631217?v=glance&s=electronics&vi=tech-data

Please let me know if any clarifications are needed.
Regards,
Landog-ga




Search engine used: Google
Search terms used:
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2004-31%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=LightScribe+&btnG=Search
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&rls=GGLD%2CGGLD%3A2004-31%2CGGLD%3Aen&q=IBM+ThinkPad+T43+

Thank you, complete answer indeed! :-)

-Mao