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SuperDrive Options for Combo Drive PowerBooks?
inblosam asks: "I have a 800 Mhz PowerBook G4 Titanium. It has a combo drive so I can read/write CDs and read DVDs. I would REALLY like to make DVDs, but what is the best route?
I know of one solution that will give me the upgrade for $400 so that is an option. But if they can get a hold of a superdrive and install it, why can't I? Where are they buying these or how do I find out how to get one for myself? Cheaper would be better, naturally. Is installing them a big factor? I also saw another DVD upgrade for the PowerBook, but it doesn't mention running iDVD, which would be one of the requirements for me actually upgrading. Otherwise I would just buy an external DVD burner."
It's not a cheap route, but c'mon - you gotta be lusting after the 17" one, surely :D
:)
And aren't there issues with using non-Apple DVD drives with iDVD et al?
iqu
A quick search of Ebay will get you the parts you need...
That link you mentioned (http://store.powerbook1.com/mceindvsupup.html) does in fact mention that it works with iDVD.
So that should solve your problem.
Oh, and also, FP? Or do I fail it?
Headline from your linked website: MCE 2X DVD-R/RW with DVD-RAM Internal Upgrade for PowerBook G4 Burn DVDs (at 2X) and CDs anywhere you can take your PowerBook... (And, it's compatible with iDVD!)
I'm hoping they just updated the website to include that!
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Get an external Firewire bay and a $150 4G DVD-RAM drive and burn DVDs to your heart's content. Of course it'll be an external drive vs a nice built-in one, but it'll be much more affordable than what Apple will offer. And as a bonus you'll get the most compatible DVD standard (DVD-R) _and_ the most reliable backup standard in one shot (DVD-RAM).
Oh, and also, FP? Or do I fail it?
You fail it!
I'm not sure about drivers under OSX, you may be limited to only certain (i.e. Apple) brands of hardware for this, but I know that for my ThinkPad T series, all you have to do is find a slim drive, fix (i.e. Dremel) the faceplate to match your notebook (In my case Ultrabay 2000, don't know what Mac calls theirs), and use the removable tray and connector from the current drive for the new one. If you can do that, you should easily be able to find a cheap drive, and with (possible) minimal modification to the faceplate, it should work great.
And just as a note, this is not flamebait, I really love Apple stuff, but I have to work with PCs, so I bought the closest thing to a PowerBook Ti there is. (Plus, I like trackpoint better than touchpads)
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Check Other World Computing. They just anounced TiBook Superdrive upgrades last week. I think they are 1x drives and they aren't all that cheap. The cheapest way to go is shop around for an internal desktop drive and a Firewire enclosure. You could probably get both for under $300. And I believe that since iDVD is now available for purchase, it will work with about any drive.
Actually, you can buy them at OWC brand new. http://www.macsales.com. $380 for Gigabit models and $400 for earlier.
I personally have no idea where to get a Superdrive for a laptop, as I bet that Apple's Superdrive is only available through one OEM, because of it's compact size and engineering w/ the Powerbook line. If anyone does find where to buy a Superdrive that you can install yourself, I'd be interested to know also!
As mentioned before, Other World Computing does have a DVD-R (1X) drive for $380 that is compatible with iDVD. To me, that's a little pricey, considering you could have an external enclosure with 4X write for $100 less.
- Mo dule,type-Titanium.htm
That said, I found a page that briefly describes installing the drive, which looks to be pretty easy(if you think putting the bottom of a tiBook's case back on is easy). Here's the link(for some reason I can't get rid of the white space between the o and d in Module...just copy and paste and make the correction):
http://www.powerbooktech.com/knowledge,name-DVD
Good luck.
what is the brand/model that MCE is using and does anyone know where else it can be bought?
a 2x burner in a laptop would be sweet. and nearly unheard of.
Get an external one. Superdrives don't support DVD-RWs. Plus when are you really gonna need to suddenly burn a dvd on the road? It takes so long at 1x. I have a 12in powerbook w/superdrive and I use my external burner quite a bit more.
just buy an external firewire dvd burner... the combo drive burns cds faster, and most people will rarely burn dvd's on the road. also you get the benefit of having 2 drives (quicker cd/dvd copying)
Like anyone can even know that
I was going to moderate, but I didn't see the right answer. So here's the skinny.
You can use pretty much any DVD writer you want, however, it has to be internal. That's it. iDVD checks for a DVD writer, then checks to see if it's on the internal bus. If both of these are true, you're good to go.
Did you even pay attention to what that "list" link pointed to? It's a list of DVD players that are compatable with iDVD written media. "The following table lists players that we have specifically tested for playability." Not a damn thing about compatable writers.
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i thought there was some issue with the drive's firmware? in that people swapping the exact same model drive bought through a 3rd party would not function with iDVD...... but maybe the new iDVD fixes that as another post mentioned. i know the older versions of backup.app were not functional with external CD-Burners.... i thinkt hey finally tweaked that, but it had been an issue
Be warned that the current version, 1.5, is not particularly bug-free. Version 2.0, available "in August" might be better.
If I install one of these myself don't I void my 3 year warranty i paid out the ass for?
I've been mulling over this issue myself lately. I know you mentioned iDVD as a requirement, but is that specifically iDVD, or "something easy and cheap compared to DVD Studio Pro"?
;)
For me, it's the latter, and I don't need to burn on the road, so I've been thinking about getting something like LaCie's external unit, which comes with CaptyDVD bundled for a total of $299. I think the mechanism in the linked product is the new A06, but I could be wrong.
I've never used CaptyDVD and I haven't been able to find any substantive reviews on it, so maybe it's a dog. Or maybe it's great. Undoubtedly, it's not as powerful as DSP, but I would guess it holds it's own against iDVD as far as features go (and probably doesn't have some of the built-in limitations iDVD does).
Maybe you'll take the plunge and let us know
-h3
Anyone know a way to add a internal dvd burner to a ibook?
The big advantage to buying from OWC, it looks like, is that you can turn around and sell your combo drive on ebay. The others look like they keep your existing drive. The advantage to the MCE drive, though, is that you get 2X DVD writing. I have a need for speed - I'd go with the MCE, and it's less expensive to boot (though don't know if that price includes installation and shipping, so may be a wash).
but an external firewire dvd drive is what you want. iDVD (part of the 49 dollar iLife package) will work on it. Get a firewire enclosure and the same model as a Superdrive if you're scared about compatibility.
These are the most common ones, as Apple itself is using these brands quite often.
Matshita/Panasonic UJ-811 (tray loading) / UJ-815 (slot loading). Thats very much the mechanism MCE uses, as this drive is 2xDVD-R/RW/RAM; retails for around US$299 (tray) to US$350 (slot).
Toshiba SD-R6112 (2xDVD-R/RW). Retails for around US$250 and is a great value.
If you buy them, like, at http://www.esbuy.com/ or similar, they cost as much as an external one (the drive itself and the friewire enclosure).
Its too sad, but here in Europe you dont get the Matshita UJ-811/815 drives. And theyre cute, 2xDVD-R/RW and DVD-RAM internal, puuuh.
G.
How 'bout this?
e s_ devideon_soft
http://www.formac.com/p_bin/?cid=solutions_driv
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At the risk of redundancy..... iDVD will not work with external drives...sorry, just had to make sure this gets repeated so it won't be repeated later :)
Titanium : DVD Module
(For the lazy)
I may be mistaken, but I was under the impression that you cannot buy iDVD -- it must ship on the computer you purchased (which presumably features the hardware that is required to use it). This means that this entire discussion is about how to circumvent copy protection. Under the DMCA, I hereby sue this slashdot story.
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Check that MCE page again. I just looked, and it specifically says that their upgrade is compatible with iDVD as well as a bunch of other stuff. It also seems to indicate that there's some other DVD-burning software included.
I guess the guys over at MCE read Slashdot, and probably changed their page in response to this article? You'd think they'd post, though...
I also saw another DVD upgrade for the PowerBook, but it doesn't mention running iDVD, which would be one of the requirements for me actually upgrading.
...
And I quote, directly from the linked website (http://store.powerbook1.com/mceindvsupup.html)
Burn DVDs (at 2X) and CDs anywhere you can take your PowerBook... (And, it's compatible with iDVD!)
Right off the second link to MCE Tech. In big bold letters no less:
Burn DVDs (at 2X) and CDs anywhere you can take your PowerBook... (And, it's compatible with iDVD!)
You're answer is not entirely accurate. He will still need a DVD-R/RW burner. Preferably by Pioneer as they handle the OEM exclusively for the desktops.
As stated in his second link, the MCE drive will work and he can install it himself.
Just go to your nearest Apple Certified Technician and order the drive. They'll let you install it yourself.
It's that simple.
I sent in my 12" powerbook a few weeks ago with a broken combo drive. I got it back on the 3rd day and looked at the slip... "Replaced Superdrive"
Sure enough, I now can burn dvds.
Check out what apple has to say:
Since they say this multiple times, and since they do not sell an external "Apple Superdrive", it is safe to assume that iDVD, even if purchased as part of iLife, will not work with external drives. (In fact, it does not check to see if a drive is the same model as a superdrive but rather whether or not it's connected internally.) Internal or external, if you're not using an apple drive it is not supported and may not work in the future.
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iDVD checks for a DVD-R connected to an ATA bus on a Macintosh. ATA is not an external standard (with a few notable hacks excluded) and therefore the idea of an external drive with iDVD is null. I have a Power Mac 9500, and to use iDVD with the machine, I would have to replace the ACARD-based ATA card with a Promise-based card. ACARD-connected drives identify themselves as SCSI to the system, whereas the system sees raw ATA devices when using the Promise cards.
If you install something like an A05 drive into a previously non-SuperDrive G4, you've got gold. The problem is, you have to LEGALLY obtain a copy of iDVD. That is solved easily by buying a copy of iLife and going to town. I know a TON of Apple resellers do it, even though it is not condoned by Apple. I think I've seen CompUSA do an install of that kind of drive on occasion. There is one BIG problem, though.
The drive itself is not covered under warranty, or under AppleCare. And on a PowerBook of this sort, you are _probably_ voiding the warranty in its entirety by doing this sort of upgrade. Anyone who has ever tried to do optical drive work on a TiBook knows that there are good reasons for this. I can't guarantee that this is the case, but you'll have a hard time finding a service provider who will touch it.
I'm by no means telling anyone which way to go. I have a Pismo 500 with 1024 MB of RAM and the new 80 GB TravelStar 80GN hard disk. Both of those are far beyond what the factory has rated, but they don't violate the warranty. Getting that 900 MHz G3 upgrade, though, definitely voids the few precious months of AppleCare I have left. When my 40GN died two weeks ago, I was out of luck when it came to AppleCare and had to go through Hitachi. Same case for the internal SuperDrive, Apple will tell you to go away.
Short story: Figure out what is more important, saving money or preserving your warranty. The internal options are attractive, but the status of your warranty is definitely questionable. Getting DVD Studio Pro, CaptyDVD or Devideon with an external burner is faster and preserves your warranty, but is more expensive and not portable.
http://www.macresq.com/store/superdrive.php
Who cares? Macs suck anyways...
I have a 12" Powerbook, and I know that apple says the highest ram I can fit into it is 512+128 (on the mother board) = 640 MB.
But, Apple made that claim when the largest DDR PC2100 available was a 512. Now there is a 1 Gig version of the PC 2100.
So my question is: Does anyone know if the 1 Gig of ram will work with the 12" PB?
I remember reading about this earlier this year in one of the reviews of the product, but now I can't remember.
Thank you for your help.
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