I am looking to buy (New / Used / Refurbished ) a Modular Bay Hard
Disk Drive (any capacity) for my TOshiba Tecra 8100 Laptop. I tried
looking at the Toshiba site for the same, but, apparently the product
is end-of life and hence unavailable from them. A similar product for
another range of laptops, not compatible with the Tecra is available
at the following link ..

http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/pc/pc_prodDetail.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1227146986.1031757641@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccciadcgekegmkfcgfkceghdgngdglk.0&comm=ST&plin=Expansion&pfam=Modular%20Bay&poid=187601&Adoid=140299

Where is this product available for sale in the USA ?

A quick and effective way to use Google to search for computer
upgrades is to get the part numbers for your computer model.  If you
don't you'll sort through hundreds of general interest articles on the
Toshiba Tecra series.

The part numbers for Toshiba Tecra hard disk kits are:

PA3079U-1PCC a 2G PC Card hard drive
PA3027U  12G hard disk kit
PA3029U  18G hard disk kit
PA3056U  20G hard disk kit

There's also the Select Bay docking station, which would allow use of
an upgrade drive but is not as portable:
PA2073U  Select Bay

Using Google to search for either of the following quickly turns up a
number of potential sources for these components.  But the lists are
manageable (about 13) -- and we can quickly eliminate the overseas
suppliers:
Tecra + PA3029U
or
Tecra 8100 + PA3029U

Potential suppliers include:

UCR, Dayton, OH
(937) 253-8898
shows having both 12G and 18G drives:
http://www.toshibaspareparts.com/portege3490ct.asp
http://www.toshibaspareparts.com/portege3480ct.asp

Code Micro, Inc.
Vista, CA
(760) 806-2731
Has several of the drives:
http://www.codemicro.com/store/content669.cfm

Another major Toshiba systems integrator is in Minneapolis, though
they don't show specific parts available on their website:
Compar, Inc.
Minnetonka, MN
(800) 626-6727

Laptop Outlet doesn't have a hard disk kit, but does show an LS-120
cartridge drive and might be worth contacting to see if they have hard
drives too:
http://www.laptopoutlet.com/laptopoutlet/

And finally, the Notebook Superstore has the 2G PC Card upgrade as
it's only listing:
Notebook Superstore
Los Angeles, CA
(88) 643-9403

Best regards,

Omnivorous-GA

---

Request for Answer Clarification by mguru-ga on 11 Sep 2002 14:39 PDT

Omnivorous,
None of the links mentioned takes me to a site which sells what I am
looking for.  I am not looking for a hard drive.  But a secondary hard
drive that I can plug into the existing CD'ROM bay.  It is an external
unit that acts as a secondary storage device.  I have not received an
answer to my question as yet.

Thanks
mguru

---

Clarification of Answer by omnivorous-ga on 11 Sep 2002 15:56 PDT

Mguru - 
 
The Modular Bay drives are for different Toshiba models than the Tecra
series.  The device that seems to fit your needs is the SelectBay
produced for the Tecra, which allows installation of an additional
slice with battery, R/W CD, DVD or hard drive.  The Select Bay is not
widely available but is listed here:
http://www.pcconnection.com/scripts/showcase/productdetail.asp?product_id=139903&vendor=Clearance
 
Also possibly from UNC -- though the SelectBay indicated for the Tecra
8100 has a different model number here:
http://www.toshibaspareparts.com/tecra8100-141.asp 
 
I've done business with Compar, the Minneapolis company, in the past
and they are very knowledgeable about what's available for Toshiba
systems, as they've been selling them since the mid-1980s.  They would
be worth a call.
 
Best regards, 
 
Omnivorous-GA

---

Clarification of Answer by omnivorous-ga on 21 Oct 2002 20:01 PDT

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