News Group Posts

Mac superdrive dvd-r

From: shamino@techie.com (David C.)
Subject: Re: Mac Superdrive limitations....
Date: 16 Dec 2002 20:01:33 -0500
References: <20021215120417.22407.00000120@mb-md.aol.com>
<atig3k$fnu$1@pcls4.std.com> 

Anthony Lawrence <tony@pcunix.com> writes:
>
> Panasonic recently announced drives that can read and write DVD-RAM,
> DVD-RW, DVD-R, CD-R and CD-RW.  Whether they will be compatible with
> Macs I do not know - they seem to be concentrating on IDE interfaces
> but see http://www.consumerdvreviews.com/news/1102/11182002_01.asp for
> more.

IDE's not too bad.  If you have one of the new "mirror door" models, you
can install it in the second drive bay.  If you have an older G4, you
can replace the Apple-supplied drive (although iDVD won't run with a
third-party drive installed, so you won't want to remove a factory
installed SuperDrive.)

You can also get external cases that will allow you to convert an
internal IDE drive into an external FireWire drive.  Here's one such
product:

        http://www.scsipro.com/catalog/pg23_firewireidecasekits.htm

(Note that I have no idea what the quality of this product is or how
well the result might be compatible with MacOS.  I have never bought or
used one before.  This was just the first hit I found on a web search for
FireWire-IDE cases.)

The cases from this web site are a bit pricey, but I have seen cheaper
ones at computer shows.  I have no idea what the quality of those cases
might be either.

> DVD+R is a different thing entirely BTW.  However, DVD-RW and DVD+RW
> both share the ability to be over-written 1,000 times (DVD-RAM can be
> written 100,000 times!).  That takes the sting out of the cost, but
> unfortunately DVD-R is (as you know) write once.

The big advantage to DVD-RAM is that MacOS will let you use one like a
generic removable media drive.  Like a giant floppy.  The other forms of
optical media (CD-RW, DVD-RW, DVD+RW) work like eraseable -R media,
which isn't nearly as convenient.

A drive that combines -RAM and -RW in one drive is definitely
appealing.  I don't think I have a need for one at this time, but it's
definitely something worth keeping an eye on.

-- David

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