i painted the face of a cd-rom drive black once to match a black computer i was putting it in for someone. it was easy. you wet sand it and then spray paint it black and let it dry. it looks perfect...thats all manufacturers do.
That's very true and it sucks... I've been on the lookout for a black CDRW, and I constantly see the black versions going anywhere from $20 to $90 more that their beige counterparts...
check out www.harddrive.com they have a lot to offer in black components (one of the largest selections I've see, and they're local for me!). I filled up my black 4U server case with all sorts of great stuff I got from them.
www.pricewatch.com is a good place to look if you dont already know about it...but you should just get the beige drive and paint it black...it's quick and easyt...cheaper too
yeah, I'd suggest pricewatch as well... especially if you are looking for a good deal on RAM... (though, if you look for black CDRWs, harddrive.com will come up quite a bit)