QUOTE(shkrmkr @ Mar 14 2007, 08:33 AM)

If you paid 50 bucks, you got jipped. if you know where to look you could have gotten that $16 dollar dvd drive elswhere and flashed it with kreon yourself for half the price.
I just want to clarify what my intentions were when i said this since I've gotten a few pm's about how or where to get one of these drives for $16.
Truth is, right now you cant. Since it was discovered this drive can rip games with a modified firmware, sellers are jacking up the price. I believe before this fact was known, this drive sold for around $20. People, especially those who say they have like 20 of them ready to be shipped, are the culprits for the double price. granted, some may have gotten them at a higher price, but still looking for a profit. I was lucky enough to get one between 30-35 buck shipped, just as the craze was beginning. The more people who know this drive can help them make backups of their games, the higher the price will go. So, no, you can't find it for 16 bucks, but IMO if you can find one for the price I paid, I'd say you found a good deal. Just look around, I don't have any special links or people I know that can get one cheap, so don't bother asking.
To sum it up--
These drives are 20 dollar drives that people are cashing in on. If you feel 50 bucks is a fair price to pay for being able to backup your investments, then more power to you. I'm not saying 50 is bad, but if you do some research outside of this forum, you might just find a better deal. Truth is the price is being padded because they are hard to find and the only one with its capabilities.
Let's not make this thread about the samsung drive, its about the blaster360, which IMO may not be worth the price, but having a quality device that doesn't make you keep taking your system apart is a good product in my book.