Poll: Do you have a DVD drive in your Computer?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: Do you have a DVD drive in your Computer? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=456)

[cb911]

1.25GHz PowerBook - so yeah, unless there was something drastically wrong with it - of course i've got a DVD drive. :p

and w00t! first post! :D that's the first time i've ever managed this...

[MacMyDay]

Where's the option: "I don't have a computer?"

:rolleyes:

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Yes, iBook with Combo...

...ready for Tiger... (that's why you asked, isn't it...?)

[tom.96]

imac five and a half years old... yes its got a DVD! The iMacDV is a fine machine and I'm sure it will go on for another five and a half years!

[ebow]

imac five and a half years old... yes its got a DVD! The iMacDV is a fine machine and I'm sure it will go on for another five and a half years!

Now that's devotion. My DV SE is going on five years and I'm thinking it's nearly time for retirement. If I was planning to buy Tiger for my current computer I'd be relieved they decided to put DVD readers in most computers way back when. But unless the speed improvement for mid-line G3s is very significant I will just bide my time until I can buy it preinstalled on something new.

[Mr. Anderson]

My oldest machine is 5 years old and it has a dvd player (not a burner, though). I can't imagine that there are all that many people out there without DVD players....

D

[Azurael]

My PCs all had DVD drives/writers in before I disassembled 'em to sell off on eBay... My 12" Powerbook had a superdrive before it died. My screenless 550 PowerBook Ti has a Superdrive (it does NOW, anyway - didn't before). My New PowerMac G5 will have a Superdrive, and hopefully a pre-installed copy of Tiger. Just waiting on the new G5 release.

[wordmunger]

Missing option: some of my computers do, some don't. My iBook 1.33 and my wife's PB 1.5 do; my clamshell iBook and two cubes don't. This could actually be somewhat of a pain when upgrading to Panther, because my understanding is to get the CD install kit, you have to return the DVDs.

[Yvan256]

Missing option: some of my computers do, some don't. My iBook 1.33 and my wife's PB 1.5 do; my clamshell iBook and two cubes don't. This could actually be somewhat of a pain when upgrading to Panther, because my understanding is to get the CD install kit, you have to return the DVDs.

I don't see the point of your complain, since you're supposed to be purchasing 5 Tiger licenses anyway... I'd go with the Family Pack, too.

Unless you mean the family pack only comes with one set of DVD/CDs? (never bought a family pack, so I don't know)

[mad jew]

Funny poll this. I've got a combo drive in my iBook but it's been playing up a bit recently (since 10.3.9 but I'm not positive they're related) in that it spits out some DVDs and it went spastic when it tried to burn a CD today. The whole thing kept spinning as fast as possible until I had to restart the machine. It wouldn't come out of its own accord. :(

[achmafooma]

I bought one of the last Power Macs that came without a DVD drive (a base-model G4 733mhz Quicksilver from Aug. 2001 -- came with CD-R/RW).

My logic at the time: "I don't need or want to watch movies on my computer."

D'oh!!

My iBook is even worse. I just wanted a machine to take notes on, so I got the cheapest one they had (G3 500mhz from Jan. 2002). It has -- I kid you not -- a basic CD-ROM drive.

Well, I'm planning a refresh for later this year so I think I'll just hold off on Tiger (or use the old 'Disk Image from FW Hard Drive' method, or something).

I don't know... Dashboard is tempting me to upgrade. I will make constant use of it.

[Spock]

Missing option: some of my computers do, some don't. My iBook 1.33 and my wife's PB 1.5 do; my clamshell iBook and two cubes don't. This could actually be somewhat of a pain when upgrading to Panther, because my understanding is to get the CD install kit, you have to return the DVDs.

Well thats why You get the Family pack instead of using one copy on all Your Macs. Read the EULA.

[wrldwzrd89]

I don't see the point of your complain, since you're supposed to be purchasing 5 Tiger licenses anyway... I'd go with the Family Pack, too.

Unless you mean the family pack only comes with one set of DVD/CDs? (never bought a family pack, so I don't know)
The Panther family pack only came with one set of CDs. In fact, the only differences between the family pack and the single user license is the price and a license addendum that only comes with the family pack. The family pack package is identical to the single user package.

My iMac G4 has a SuperDrive, so I'm good to go.

[stoid]

Well thats why You get the Family pack instead of using one copy on all Your Macs. Read the EULA.


Unfortunately, the Family Pack does only come with one set of discs, not 5, so he's still only got either a DVD or the CD set and just as screwed in his situation purchasing the Family Pack. Seems that Apple ought to waive the $9.95 fee at least for the Family Pack buyers wanting CDs.

[Yvan256]

The Panther family pack only came with one set of CDs. In fact, the only differences between the family pack and the single user license is the price and a license addendum that only comes with the family pack. The family pack package is identical to the single user package.

My iMac G4 has a SuperDrive, so I'm good to go.

FireWire Target Disk mode it is, then, I guess.

[sedarby]

Nope, Rev A iMacs didn't have the option. However, I will be upgrading to a new iMac once they are refreshed. :D :) :cool:

[Yvan256]

Unfortunately, the Family Pack does only come with one set of discs, not 5, so he's still only got either a DVD or the CD set and just as screwed in his situation purchasing the Family Pack. Seems that Apple ought to waive the $9.95 fee at least for the Family Pack buyers wanting CDs.

DVD drives can still read CD-ROMs, can't they? Granted it's not as user-friendly as a DVD, but it'll still work.

Or he could use the FireWire target disk mode and keep the DVD.

[machobson]

Well on my eMac, but thats it, and none other of my computers can have Tiger installed (No FireWire), I'm assuming what this poll is about.

[mkrishnan]

Where's the option: "I don't have a computer?"

:rolleyes:

It's on the auxiliary paper mail-out, alongside the option, "I'm illiterate." ;) But strangely, even though the instructions on the sheet of paper clearly say to double-click your choice, we have not received any hits for it. :rolleyes: :D

[rainman::|:|]

Just because you have to trade for CDs doesn't mean your newer, DVD-equipped Macs won't be able to read the CDs...

but it does really suck that they're charging $10 for the trade-in... why not at least offer a free swap at an apple store, something.

[1macker1]

10 buck on top of the 129.00 seems kinda hefty to me. I wonder will they give these CDs to resellers.

[ipacmm]

All of my computers have a DVD drive, even the Xserve.

[sorryiwasdreami]

Superdrive, yo.

[wordmunger]

Or he could use the FireWire target disk mode and keep the DVD.
I'm not sure that will work. Anyone ever tried this? I thought you had to boot the computer you were installing with the install CDs/DVDs. A more likely option would be an external DVD drive. I have an external CD burner, but I can't remember if it supports DVD-ROM.

For all concerned: yes, if I upgraded I was planning on buying the family pack.

And yes, I realize I could just use the CDs to do the install on my DVD-capable computers. It's just a little annoying to pay $210 for a 4-system upgrade and then not have the DVDs for my primary computers. I suppose another option would be to duplicate the DVDs before returning them (for backup purposes only, naturally). Again, anyone know if this will work?

[Eniregnat]

I figured that this would happen some day. I was worried when I had a rev B iBook with only a CD ROM. As it aged the world passed it by. It's nice that Apple offers a media trade-in program.

Mac's tend to be long lived, and I know that there will be some frustrated people that won't be able to upgrade to Tiger. I am debating if I should do it now, or later.

[~Shard~]

That's an easy one - of course! What an odd poll question...

[wordmunger]

That's an easy one - of course! What an odd poll question...
Why do you think it's odd? I find it interesting that 6 percent MR readers don't have a DVD-ROM. I suspect that means the number is higher for the general public.

[Wrock]

Just because you have to trade for CDs doesn't mean your newer, DVD-equipped Macs won't be able to read the CDs...


It might. Back when I bought iLife 04, it had a cd and a dvd in the box. I tossed the cd into my computer, and it laughed at me. "How dare you insult me, by trying to install off the cd! Use the DVD instead".
Well, wasn't really that bad, but it made me use the dvd since I had a dvd drive (combodrive).

[wordmunger]

It might. Back when I bought iLife 04, it had a cd and a dvd in the box. I tossed the cd into my computer, and it laughed at me. "How dare you insult me, by trying to install off the cd! Use the DVD instead".
Well, wasn't really that bad, but it made me use the dvd since I had a dvd drive (combodrive).
I remember that. That *was* odd. Like I was doing something "wrong" using the CD. The CD version, if I remember correctly, didn't have iDVD and maybe not Garageband either, which I didn't *think* was a problem, considering I didn't want to install those apps anyway. Oh, well....

[wdlove]

Yes, I have a DVD player on my 2000 model Power Mac G4. Going by the yes of 94%, Apple made the correct choice with offering Tiger on DVD. Much prefer this to the use of multiple CD's. I remember the days of using multiple floppies for an installation.

[wordmunger]

I remember the days of using multiple floppies for an installation.

Oh, yes! The pinnacle was some version of MS Office. 5.0? There were -- count'em -- 27 floppies! I think it took about 2 hours to install. And don't even *think* about trying to run another app during the install!

[rikers_mailbox]

I'm not sure that will work. Anyone ever tried this?

I tried it. No, it does not work.

My setup was an old iMac G3 and a 12" PowerBook. I couldn't get anything to install on the iMac's disk drive using the PB's CD drive. It sucks becuase now I am faced with the same problem installing Tiger. (actually twice the problem, I have 2 old iMacs now!)

Any suggestions?

[nighthawk]

I have four computers (3 Macs), all with DVD-ROM (or better). G4 400 Mhz (AGP) has the stock DVD-ROM, the Dual 1.0 Ghz Windtunnel has a Superdrive, the new 12" Powerbook 1.5 Ghz with a Combo drive and a Pentium laptop with a Combo drive.

So Tiger DVD's are no problem for me.

[nighthawk]

Yes, I have a DVD player on my 2000 model Power Mac G4. Going by the yes of 94%, Apple made the correct choice with offering Tiger on DVD. Much prefer this to the use of multiple CD's. I remember the days of using multiple floppies for an installation.

Well the poll is not that great, but I cannot think of a better way to do it. Like I said, I have 3 Macs, and it just so happens that I have DVD drives for all of them. How would a person answer the poll they have two or more computers with a mix of DVD drive support?

[bousozoku]

My two newest machines can read DVDs, only one can write them. I suppose I'm sunk when it comes to Tiger. Looks like it's time to buy an upgrade.

[nighthawk]

Why do you think it's odd? I find it interesting that 6 percent MR readers don't have a DVD-ROM. I suspect that means the number is higher for the general public.

Well, actually Apple doesn't need to do a poll of users to find out the percentage of DVD drives available. All they need to do is look at their sales numbers for any Tiger supporting computers and use that as a baseline.

[loneAzdgari]

I bought an end of line eMac with a CD drive. I think it was an education model. I've been pretty happy with it despite the lack of DVD. Although on hindsight, the slightly lower price wasn't really worth it because I spent £160 on an 8xDVD-/+R/RW drive... :rolleyes:

[mkrishnan]

Well, actually Apple doesn't need to do a poll of users to find out the percentage of DVD drives available. All they need to do is look at their sales numbers for any Tiger supporting computers and use that as a baseline.

I think it's more like ... there are so many threads with users complaining about having to mail in and pay for CDs...how many people does this issue actually affect? Clearly Apple thought it through and decided it made more sense for them to offer DVDs, although I guess if a vocal minority throws up a sufficient huff, they might do something else. I don't think it'd cost them that much, though, to stock their stores with some CD copies, to let people swap there instead.

I'd still like to know why my Combo drive iBook came with restore CDs instead of DVD, on the other hand. :rolleyes:

[SilvorX]

My Mac and PC both have DVD drives, the dvd drive on the PC is faster, but either than that bout same specs.. cept 1.8Ghz Athlon vs 800Mhz G3, and the iBook is still a heck alot better, I can actually PLAY dvds on the G3 unlike the PC!

[puckhead193]

yea of course, i want a dual layer though from apple :rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

Why do you think it's odd? I find it interesting that 6 percent MR readers don't have a DVD-ROM. I suspect that means the number is higher for the general public.

I guess I just take having a DVD drive for granted, seems like I have always had one. As a result, the poll question almost seems like a no-brainer! ;)

[juniormaj]

How about:
"I have a DVD drive, but Apple denies it"? :rolleyes:

Lombard 400 PowerBook.

Apple stopped supporting DVD playback on it with the release of OSX.
How's that for opening an old wound?

FYI: I realize this machine is nearly 6 years old, and it does read data DVDs. I just enjoy any occasion to complain about it. :D

[Eniregnat]

My two newest machines can read DVDs, only one can write them. I suppose I'm sunk when it comes to Tiger. Looks like it's time to buy an upgrade.

Your machines only need to Read DVDs, not write to the disk. Your computers are still able to install Tiger or any other standard single-layer DVD software. Though it is likely that your drives may not read +R or any of new non-standard architectures found on any number of new “DVD” mediums.

Let's not give the companies any ideas. Back in the day, one of the ways that companies executed instillation protection was to write to one of the instillation disks. A lot of the later Apple// and //Gs software executed part of their DRM this way. It didn't stop people from copying the "installation" disks or using hex editors. With single write media, I suppose this might happen, but only if somebody re-writes the white papers to include these kinds of standards.

[clayj]

Who doesn't, nowadays? Geez, I had a DVD-ROM in my computer way back in late 1997, right when they first became available (Creative Labs add-on kit)... my Mom now has that machine, a 90 MHz Dell Pentium II Pro that we are just about to retire.

[mkrishnan]

Who doesn't, nowadays? Geez, I had a DVD-ROM in my computer way back in late 1997, right when they first became available (Creative Labs add-on kit)... my Mom now has that machine, a 90 MHz Dell Pentium II Pro that we are just about to retire.

I think it is a testament to OS X's capability to be fast on older computers that people are even talking about upgrading all these older computers that have no DVD capabilities. I did realize that there are a large number of Dells at school, chugging along happily on Win2k, but I don't think they'll run Longhorn. Or would even be very happy with XP SP2. I'm still trying to get my head around how you can upgrade to a new OS with a ton of new features like Spotlight and Dashboard, that ostensibly use system resources, and get an improvement in performance. Ahhhh, sweet OS X! :)

[wrldwzrd89]

Who doesn't, nowadays? Geez, I had a DVD-ROM in my computer way back in late 1997, right when they first became available (Creative Labs add-on kit)... my Mom now has that machine, a 90 MHz Dell Pentium II Pro that we are just about to retire.
Apple used to sell eMacs with no optical drive at all to education users. I don't know if they still sell these. Apple continued to sell computers without DVD-ROM, Combo, or SuperDrives up until the iBook and iMac were updated after the release of the 1G iPod late in 2001.

[edenwaith]

My iBook is even worse. I just wanted a machine to take notes on, so I got the cheapest one they had (G3 500mhz from Jan. 2002). It has -- I kid you not -- a basic CD-ROM drive.

Well, I'm planning a refresh for later this year so I think I'll just hold off on Tiger (or use the old 'Disk Image from FW Hard Drive' method, or something).


Is there a way to make a Tiger DVD into a disk image, and then I could try and install an OS from an external drive? I have two Macs with DVD drives, but the machine I want to put Tiger on is my iBook, which also has just a CD-ROM (which actually doesn't stay closed, rendering it pretty much useless now).

But I'm looking for a way that I could be able to install Tiger on my iBook from an external drive or external computer.

As for the poll, I'm a mixed bag. Several Macs with CD-ROMs and several with DVD capabilities.

[wrldwzrd89]

Is there a way to make a Tiger DVD into a disk image, and then I could try and install an OS from an external drive? I have two Macs with DVD drives, but the machine I want to put Tiger on is my iBook, which also has just a CD-ROM (which actually doesn't stay closed, rendering it pretty much useless now).

But I'm looking for a way that I could be able to install Tiger on my iBook from an external drive or external computer.

As for the poll, I'm a mixed bag. Several Macs with CD-ROMs and several with DVD capabilities.
FireWire Target Disk Mode is your best friend...that is, if that iBook has a FireWire port. If not, there's nothing you can do, and using FireWire Target Disk Mode probably would not work anyway.

[edenwaith]

Yes, I have a DVD player on my 2000 model Power Mac G4. Going by the yes of 94%, Apple made the correct choice with offering Tiger on DVD. Much prefer this to the use of multiple CD's. I remember the days of using multiple floppies for an installation.

That sounds like about the same type of machine that I have. My Gigabit PowerMac has served me very well, and it has proved to have some great expandability. 4 RAM slots (all used, totalling 896MB right now), space for three hard drives (well, one is technically for the zip drive, but I installed a HD instead), there is an audio-in port (which disappeared on some Macs for awhile), and the original ATI video card had ADC & VGA out...now I have an ATI 9000 w/ 128 MB of VRAM, with DVI or ADV output.

I recently bought a bunch of Mac games from the early 90s, and most of those were 9 disks a piece. Didn't Windows 95 mean 95 floppy disks? I heard if you didn't have a CD-ROM, you needed to get A LOT of floppies to use instead, which was probably a lot more expensive that way than replacing a few CDs with one or two DVDs.

[mkrishnan]

Is there a way to make a Tiger DVD into a disk image, and then I could try and install an OS from an external drive? I have two Macs with DVD drives, but the machine I want to put Tiger on is my iBook, which also has just a CD-ROM (which actually doesn't stay closed, rendering it pretty much useless now).

Listen to what WorldWizard said, but to embellish, making a disk image of the DVD is easy. Disk Utility will do that for you. You cannot, however, boot off of that image, AFAIK. And I don't think that, at least with the non-server version of Tiger, there is a Network Install kind of option that would let you install it off files on an HD from which you did not boot.

[looklost]

My powerbook has a dvd but my imac 233mhz does not and does not have firewire either. It bums me out that I can't buy a family pack and upgrade both computers at once. (Yes I have 10.3.8 running on my imac and it runs fine for what it is used for, web surfing, email, appleworks) Because I would have to exchange the dvds to get cds and pay an extra $10 I will wait until I replace the imac before upgrading to tiger.

[DeadEye686]

My powerbook has a dvd but my imac 233mhz does not and does not have firewire either. It bums me out that I can't buy a family pack and upgrade both computers at once. (Yes I have 10.3.8 running on my imac and it runs fine for what it is used for, web surfing, email, appleworks) Because I would have to exchange the dvds to get cds and pay an extra $10 I will wait until I replace the imac before upgrading to tiger.

I thought Firewire was a *requirement* for Tiger?

[ham_man]

My only Mac, a PowerBook Rev D, has a DVD drive...

Locked and loaded for Tiger... :cool:

[Maedus]

I thought Firewire was a *requirement* for Tiger?

I think its a polite way of saying they're not supporting certain computers. For example, the PowerMac G3 Beige is not supported due to some issue with the graphics card. The All-In-One G3, I suspect, would also have the same graphics card since it was out around the same time. They also didn't have firewire. The Blue And White didn't have the graphics card problem and did have firewire. Instead of saying "All G5's, G4's, and G3's supported except PowerMac G3 Beige or PowerMac G3 All-In-One" they can say "Built-In Firewire Required."

Panther also said you had to have built-in Firewire for it to work. While the installer said my computer wasn't supported, XPostFacto told the installer it was. ;) I have FireWire and USB through a PCI card and I've had no problems with Panther nor with the devices connected to the PCI card. In fact, Panther runs much better than Jaguar and Panther doesn't have the video panic that caused my computer to go black screen and freeze either. But Apple probably went safe than sorry and decided to just drop the Beiges with the dodgy graphics card.

Or this is what I gleened from reading posts about why the G3 Beige wasn't supported long ago. Information wasn't exactly forthcoming and if anybody knows to the better, feel free to correct me.

[ravenvii]

I can't vote for some reason...

But I have a Superdrive in my Mac mini :D

[dotdotdot]

Does an external count???

[~Shard~]

Does an external count???

The question specifies "in your computer", so no dice. ;)

[yg17]

Yep. Ive had a DVD drive in every computer I owned. Back in 99 when I bought my first computer, a Gateway, I remember the DVD drive being a several hundred dollar upgrade.

[~Shard~]

Yep. Ive had a DVD drive in every computer I owned.

Can't quite make the same claim myself - DVD drives were a little pricey back in 1983 when I was using an Apple //e... :p :cool:

[mkrishnan]

Can't quite make the same claim myself - DVD drives were a little pricey back in 1983 when I was using an Apple //e... :p :cool:

My TRS-80 Color Computer didn't have one either. It did rock the big 16k of RAM, though! :) And in a way, it sort of had an iPod...the tape player it used for file storage had a speaker, so I could listen to all my tunes on it. Of course, at that time, my tunes consisted of Sesame Street.... :rolleyes:

[~Shard~]

My TRS-80 Color Computer didn't have one either. It did rock the big 16k of RAM, though! :) And in a way, it sort of had an iPod...the tape player it used for file storage had a speaker, so I could listen to all my tunes on it. Of course, at that time, my tunes consisted of Sesame Street.... :rolleyes:

Ah, the good old days... :cool:

[feyd_ehway]

but i still LOVE my ibook... regaurdless of what type of feline species it grows up to be ;)
-feyd ehway

[840quadra]

Yes..

I have one in 2 computers, and one burner.. I rarely use a regular DVD player anymore.