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Environmental DVD Wrecks Apple Drives
FST777 writes "The British Mail on Sunday published its latest DVD giveaway on the EcoDisc, a thin and bendable DVD format that is supposed to be more environmentally-friendly than regular DVDs. Despite the clear warning against using them in Apple slot drives, some Mac users decided to give it a go. The result? A brisk trade for repair shops in the UK. 'The EcoDisc's manufacturer, ODS, insists the disc won't break drives. "We've produced over ten million of these discs — we've had less than a dozen phone calls," says managing director, Ray Wheeler. "There are ways to get the discs out." Wheeler says the problem stems from Apple's slot-loading drives. "It uses an ejection system that doesn't get approval from the DVD Forum." He claims the EcoDisc should work in other types of slot-loading drive, although admits that it hasn't been tested in the PlayStation 3.'"
Just throw the whole computer out and buy a new one!
For reading the Mail on Sunday. Apple users should go for the Guardian's mixture of smugness, cult like atmosphere and complete indifference to reality.
If you haven't made a developer cry, you've wasted a day.
"It uses an ejection system that doesn't get approval from the DVD Forum."
And these new discs do?
Apple has solved this problem by releasing the MacBook Air without a DVD drive built in- it's much easier to throw away and replace a USB accessory.
Worst BBC News Stories
We in the industry call that a "feature".
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On the plus side, this is a good form of idiot tax. This might not make sense to non-British readers but the Mail has, let's say, a certain reputation in the UK for its readership being most of Britain's jumpy, middle class, alarmist, conservative, "immigration is evil and all non-white immigrants should be castrated" type readers.
Circumcision is child abuse.
The environmentally friendly thing to do would be to have NO disc at all. Just point people at a download site and let them get the disk image from the tubes using zero plastics, chemicals, landfill, or other resources in the process.
although admits that it hasn't been tested in the PlayStation 3
Well, yeah, that's understandable seeing as it's still so hard to get a hold of a PS3.
Because the Internet doesn't use any electrical power?
I agree that it's probably more efficient to download data instead of burning it on DVD and distributing it that way, but by how much?
Actually, the Apple slot-loading drive was a response to durability problems experienced by students when they used Mac laptops. Apparently kids were liable to snap the DVD tray right off the laptop. (Not good.) So it wasn't a stupid idea. More like an attempt to balance out a variety of needs.
That being said, you could always get a MacBook Air. Nothing says "high technology" like a complete lack of an optical drive.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
I believe he's referring to custom-sized CDs, the most common of which are the mini CD and the business card CD. It's a CD that has approximately the shape of a business card. The US Navy once sent me promotional materials on one. Other companies have been known to make weirdly shaped discs (like hearts) for novelty purposes as well. All of these work fine in tray drives, but slot loaders, not so much.
So you're saying that inserting objects never meant for the drive is bad?
How do they handle hot soup?
Maybe he's referring to actual CD's shaped like business cards and hearts?
Robert Bindler
A Computer Science student's views on technology.
That being said, you could always get a MacBook Air. Nothing says "high technology" like a complete lack of an optical drive. ;-)
That being said, you could always get an iMac. Nothing says "high technology" like a complete lack of a floppy drive.
turn up the jukebox and tell me a lie
Yes, non-Macintoshes have them, I suppose. But what about what happens when you put a regular bad CD into the drive? On a Mac, you can always eject the disk by going to the Disk Manager (whatever that thing is called). Unless, of course, the CD is bad, then the disk manager won't necessarily load. No problem, just hold down one of those funky keys while selecting "restart." That will work, provided the disk isn't bad.
Well, you can always boot the machine into console and issue a direct "eject disk" command.
But then, of course, you'd say it was the user's fault for not knowing the disk was bad before inserting it.
This will be fun: Non-standard DVD player and an unusual DVD. Does the DVD adhere to appropriate standards, in which case, we can all gloat that the stylish and disposable Mac du jour falls victim to its own preciousness, or is this a matter of shared liability?
"It uses an ejection system that doesn't get approval from the DVD Forum."
Well, who are they to tell Apple and Sir Steve what to do?
Patient: Doctor, it hurts when I do this... Doctor: Don't do that.
The warning was:
"no Apple slot in drive"
Indeed. Remind me, what was the point of that?
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
The question is whether either the disc or the drives carried the DVD Logo? From what I have seen it's doubtful that the "EcoDisk" would qualify as it is less than half the thickness and weight of a real DVD, so it's interesting to see ODS trying to point fingers at Matshita for not following DVD Forum specifications.
That's a problem for elementary schools, not colleges.
Well, it's a problem for high schools too, but that's because it's school computers and HS students tend to be dicks when it comes to other people's property. That issue applies to both slot- and tray-loading drives, though.
How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
It only takes one man to change the Wisdom of the Crowd to Tyranny of the Masses.
"I've heard the opposite- that slot-load drives are bad for schools because kids like to stick things in them."
And I've heard that what they stick in the slots is pieces of the trays they snap off from other machines that have (had?) tray loading drives.
-- Terry
Haven't you been reading? They don't work in them apples either...
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." --H.L. Mencken
I think I've accidentally been transported into a parallel universe. Is this not Slashdot?
What, you say it is Slashdot? Then how do you explain this article without someone (incorrectly) referring to "bricking" the Apple CD drive?
I see this story is tagged "Macs for morons", and various posts joking about destroying Mac owners' machines is not a bug, it's a feature, and so forth.
I must take issue with this stance. If we are to celebrate the fact that a certain demographic sector suffered inconvenience and damage to property, I must insist we aim the full force of our collective schadenfreude not at Mac users, but at Mail on Sunday readers ;-)
(Serious explanation: The Mail is one of the most nasty, deplorable shit-for-brained rags in the country, but sadly very powerful. I would consider the editor, Paul Dacre, one of the most evil men in Britain, for so shamelessly, irresponsibly and (sadly) skillfully peddling his insiduous blend of bigotry, racism, classism, sexism, and scaremongering. A typical Mail headline is something like: "Does your council spend your tax on teaching illegal immigrants how to give working mothers cancer?" It's not the Mail if it doesn't get in a middle-class whinge about taxes/councils/schools/hospitals, insinuate a highly improbable conspiracy involving immigrants, remind women their rightful place is In The Home, and stir panic on public health issues - naturally, all expressed in the form of a question, since it's UTTER BULLSHIT and they know it.
Evil, evil, evil paper.
A friend once put such a disk in his MacBook and then called me after he couldn't get it out. I tried several things, including opening the Mac, with no luck. After some searching I found a solution on the net: Reboot the MacBook holding it upside down... the disk properly ejected right on booting. I don't know why and I don't know if it's reproducable, as I didn't want to try to put it in again. (btw, reading the disc while it was in worked fine.)
It's a retractable cupholder, you insensitive clod!
It's really quite simple.
Amusingly, when I typed 'Hold' in the Subject field, Safari completed the sentence because I posted the same exact thing here a while back the last time this came up.
September 2011: Looking for Cocoa/iOS work in Boston area Cocoa Programmer Quincy, MA
On the other hand, not all Apple interfaces are rubbish. I was very impressed by Xcode when I made another abortive attempt at using it the other day.
I particularly love the way that you can add files to projects by drag-and-drop! Oh, wait, no you can't, you have to add them with an "Add file" dialog.
But at least you can add a whole bunch at once! Oh, wait, no you can't, you can only add one at a time.
But at least the dialog box remembers where the files were so you don't have to navigate your directory structure again and again for every single file! Oh, wait, no it doesn't, it always goes right back to the project directory.
And that's before we get onto the really fun details, like the only way to change the build settings for your project is to right-click on the build target name and select the intuitively named "Get Info" option.
Apple, king of user interface design? Don't make me laugh. OS 9 was very good, but it's been downhill all the way since they abandoned usability in favour of useless eye candy.
I'm fairly certain your parent post was pointing out how people bitched up a fit about the iMac not having that piece of junk back in 1998, not when the major PC builders finally dropped them from their standard configuration within the last 2 years.
Of course, back then the complaint was perfectly valid because Apple didn't replace it with anything.
Had the iMac shipped with a CDRW drive, they would have actually been "innovative", rather than "cheap".
Just junk food for thought...
They've specifically said they wouldn't support Apple's non compliant hardware, which Apple dishonestly marketed as compliant.
Offtopic, but I know a lot of people like to beat up on Apple for the "no internal optical drive on the MacBook Air" thing. I have a Dell D420, which doesn't have a built-in optical drive (it's in the dock) and I can't say I ever use the optical drive until I need to upgrade my Linux distro. All my backups are done over my home network, or to USB storage. When's the last time you used your DVD/CDRW drive? And not having an internal optical drive saves a lot of weight and bulk in the laptop.
I'm not a Mac weenie by any stretch, but I think Apple made a good call on that for an ultralight laptop.
I particularly love the way that you can add files to projects by drag-and-drop! Oh, wait, no you can't, you have to add them with an "Add file" dialog.
- Opens up the 'src' folder in the Finder
- Selects a file
- Drags it to the 'Sources' folder in the XCode project
- Sees import-folder-to-project sheet drop down
- Wonders what the fuss is about
But at least you can add a whole bunch at once! Oh, wait, no you can't, you can only add one at a time
- Does same as above, but selects multiple files
- Wonders what the fuss is all about
- Tries using the dialogue box, in case Apple had gone insane... Nope, multi-select works just fine...
But at least the dialog box remembers where the files were so you don't have to navigate your directory structure again and again for every single file! Oh, wait, no it doesn't, it always goes right back to the project directory
* This one I'll give you, but then I tend to keep my source files for a given project within the project folder anyway, so it works quite well for me...
the only way to change the build settings for your project is to right-click on the build target name and select the intuitively named "Get Info" option
- Wonders why the coward just doesn't double-click the project...
Thinks to himself: "Perhaps reading the manual might be a useful exercise for this coward". Here's a hint: If you're doing something that you think is a monumental waste of time, something the computer could do far better, and make your life far easier, you're probably missing something. Reading the fine manual before blowing off steam in public saves making an ass of yourself.
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
wow, you criticized apple fanboys with a side swipe at apple. And didn't click the no Karma, or Anonymous check box? a.) I didn't side-swipe Apple. I'm not sure why you're seeing that. The "He's telling the truth" bit is a reference to his ownership of an iPod, not to his critcism.
b.) This is basically a throw-away account. I've been lurking on Slashdot for far longer than my ID implies. One day there was a story about another company complaining about iTune's monopoly. Everybody poo-poo'd that complaint, so I mentioned that he had a point and why I thought so. (As opposed to saying something like "APPLE SUX!! EVERYBODY WHO LIKES APPLE SUCKS!") My comment was initially modded insightful. Unfortunately, that invited criticism. Instead of taking my point head-on, lots of people took jabs at my post. One guy shot up to a +5 for cooking up a hypothetical (and, if anybody spent more than 3 seconds pondering it, non-sensical) scenario about my motivations for making the comment. Silly stuff, but not really out of the norm for Slashdot. The silliness shot to an extreme when all of my recent posts started dropping. Before long, some 30 negative moderations had been made, actually causing me to get banned from Slashdot for a couple of months. (It was specific to an IP range, I could still post from home.) A couple of months later, I started posting again, and those new posts were automatically modded as troll.
So I created this account to avoid that BS attached by my old nick. Frankly, if this one gets toasted by ridiculously organized Apple fanboys too, I really don't care. I can create a new account. BFD. I'm not giving Steve Jobs verbal fellatio just to be cool with a group of people. I'm also not giving Apple any more credit than I'd give Microsoft. They're motivated by profit just like BillyG, so I'm not defending them just because I like my iPod.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
I agree that it's probably more efficient to download data instead of burning it on DVD and distributing it that way, but by how much? I can download a lot of data on one charge from my battery. I can't burn even one DVD. I don't know how it compares to stamped disks, but I'd say the efficiency gain from downloading is significant.
Thomas Galvin
You fail to mention that illegal immigrants killed Diana, presumably while stealing our jobs and living off benefits.
[FUCK BETA]
I'm fairly certain your parent post was pointing out how people bitched up a fit about the iMac not having that piece of junk back in 1998, not when the major PC builders finally dropped them from their standard configuration within the last 2 years.
Maybe because things might have changed a bit in 8+ years? Many people were still using floppy disks in 1998 (and as pointed out, there was no alternative supplied for writing media). A few years later, floppy disks are dead and every computer has CDRW or even DVDRW, along with support for memory cards.
And actually, I read the OP (and probably the Grandparent) as taking the piss out of people who claimed that the iMac was some revolutionary ("high technology") machine for not having a floppy drive. (Even if that is worth a claim to fame, the Amiga CDTV did it years before anyway.)
Well then...seems that this 'evil right wing, middle class' paper outsells your liberal stuff. So..to you, the wingnut, makes it evil.
Compare this to fox news. It clobbers all other cable news shows...
"Folks, I'm no fan of reality...Who is Britannica to tell me that George Washington owned slaves? If I want to say he didn't, that's my right! And now, thanks to Wikipedia, it's also a fact. We should apply these principles to all information! All we need to do is convince a majority of people that some factoid is true, for instance, that Africa has more elephants today than it did ten years ago. Now, I don't know if that's actually true. But if it was true, boy, that would be a real blow to the environmentalists. As usual, the Bush administration is on the cutting edge of information management. While they've admitted that Saddam did not possess weapons of mass destruction, they've also insinuated he did have weapons of mass destruction--insinuations that have been repeated over and over again on cable news for the past 3 and a half years. And now, the result is, 18 months ago, only 36% of Americans believed it, but 50% of Americans believe it now! Man, that number's growing almost as fast as the population of African elephants!...What we're doing is bringing democracy to knowledge. Now, the "blame ignorance first" crowd is gonna say that something is either true or it isn't, and it doesn't matter how many people agree....If you go against what the majority of people perceive to be reality, you're the one who's crazy!...Together, we can create a reality we all agree on: the reality we just agreed on."
In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
We had problems with the kids punching out the grilles in the new emacs. And then later punching out the exposed cones. It took three emacs left with dual metal cavities in their front faces before they started locking the lab when no teacher was supervising it.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
Calling them DVD drives certainly does that, and really, not coming clean with the fact that they're *not* is enough.
Debatable. Remember, the thing sold like hotcakes, no matter how much we thought it was crap.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
My memory is fine. less than a minute to upload a 1 MB file. Floppy drives took the same amount of time to save. I used Netscape. Never a fan of Claris Emailer, but I digress. I worked in service for a Apple Authorized Service Center in 98. I am aware of internet reports of a "click of death" I saw very little of this. The reason it had a short span was due to the quick decrease in price of burners and media. Not to mention every computer had a CD reading device. I do remember the external drives hanging off Macs. But was that due to necessity for a floppy replacement, graphic artists use large files and Macs (remember Syquest drives before floppies were removed from Macs and Zips were introduced), or struggle of end users to accept a new paradigm?
Solution in one sentence: Turn the MacBook iBook PowerBook upside down, put it on a desk, slap it while pressing the eject button. Happened to me a couple of months ago when a German mag (brandeins) included a DVD and the solution worked for a number of "victims". No guarantees of course, but much more harmless than the hardcore creditcard, scewdriver or knife methods you can find on the web. This article describes the solution in more detail including photos... Have fun