Upgrade: CD/RW to DVD/CD, gateway 400VTX laptop

Well, I've been searching all over the web (and here), but I guess I don't know the right search terms...

I have been doing tower systems since they were brannew (desktops before that), but I've lately been bitten by the laptop bug.

Short story is, I just got a Gateway 400VTX (I know, it's an oddball, even by Gateway standards)... I hate proprietary stuff too, but I'm still experimenting... It came with an internal CD/RW drive which I would like to replace with a DVD/CD drive. According to Gateway, "it can't be done, as they are different in terms of physical dimensions ".

Well, I thought maybe hooey on that, might just be the carrier. The actual drive dimentions (at least on anything generic) are the same...

Am I up in the night on this?

I sure would appreciate any help you all might be able to offer on this one, I can't seem to be able to find even the most basic "Geateway Notebook Forum" kind of help...

Note: Funny I would finally ask this ? here... well, not really... this is where I have always found the help I needed... 7 years now (probably more)?

And hey Surferdude, I know you are looking at this, you are one in a million!

Anyway, I'd sure appreciate a little input on this one...