Superdrive'd TiBooks or Not?

[MacRumors]

ThinkSecret (http://www.thinksecret.com) and MacOSRumors (http://www.macosrumors.com) are jumping on the November 5th bandwagon started by MacPlus (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2002/10/20021024213540.shtml).

Both sites dismiss the possibility of Superdrive'd Powerbooks for this release. This is also reinforced by the News.com article (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2002/10/20021029092600.shtml) quoting Joswiak. A MacRumors source, however, verifies the existance of prototype Powerbooks with Superdrive at this time, suggesting that the release is imminent.

[cb911]

i thought that SuperDrives for this release sounded too good to be true. it makes sense that volume production will begin in spring.

doesn't matter though, i'm sure everyone can make do with DDR RAM and a 64MB video card, not to mention 1GHz!!!:D :D :D

[crassusad44]

Toshiba has already promoted their new superdrive'd laptop (5200-series), which sould arrive in the beginning of November.
Apple should be in the lead there, and not let Toshiba (only to think about a Wintel comp makes me want to puke...) leave Apple behind. If we do no see a superdrive PB before spring, then it's a disaster...

My 2 ¢

[skunk]

Shouldn't that be "superdriven"? Anyway, much more important would be a decent sound system....

[gotohamish]

Three words:

BUILT TO ORDER

[chipchen]

don't forget... the issue isn't whether these drives are available for other computers.. it's whether there are SLOT-LOADING drives available... AND THEN... it's whether they can fit into the titanium form factor...

Sure... Toshiba will have it... but with a monster notebook the size of Godzilla. might as well carry your iMac superdrive right?

[arn]

Originally posted by chipchen
don't forget... the issue isn't whether these drives are available for other computers.. it's whether there are SLOT-LOADING drives available... AND THEN... it's whether they can fit into the titanium form factor...

Sure... Toshiba will have it... but with a monster notebook the size of Godzilla. might as well carry your iMac superdrive right?

Did you read the article?

TiBooks with Superdrive currently exist in prototype form.

So the answers to your questions are:

1) Yes, there is a slot loading available (at least for testing purposes)

2) Yes, it fits in the TiBook.

arn

[cb911]

ok then, considering that Apple already has superdrives in their test TiBooks and the fact that Toshiba will have it in November (this month) i think that Apple should at least make it available as a build-to-order option.

[Blackcat]

As Apple killed off OWCs iDVD enabler, I'm hoping an external Superdrive will be released for existing and new Powerbooks. It would be easy to offer this until the next revision gets built-in slot loaders.

[gopher]

Just remember, they may exist in prototype form, but we don't want them releasing overheating Powerbooks that need constant repair. Prototyping at least gives them a chance to figure out if better layout or design is needed. Once it is released, it probably will be the thinnest Superdrive notebook regardless who releases Superdrive first in the U.S. They are already available in bulky notebook form in Japan.

[achmafooma]

Originally posted by Blackcat
As Apple killed off OWCs iDVD enabler, I'm hoping an external Superdrive will be released for existing and new Powerbooks. It would be easy to offer this until the next revision gets built-in slot loaders.


An Apple portable firewire superdrive would be a great idea, if you ask me. Make iDVD and all the Apple software recognize and work with it, sell it as BTO with the notebooks and seperately (and more expensively) as a standalone.

This way people who bought Macs not thinking they'd ever need to write DVDs and then get into DV work later (like me, actually) could just pick it up from Apple.com or an AppleStore and plug it right in. I'd buy one, I'm sure quite a few others would too. I'm not willing to buy a new computer just for this capability, I'm still paying off my 733mhz Quicksilver.

I know and have heard of lots of people who want a notebook and want to do editing on it without having to use a desktop for the output. This would give them that capability in an only-slightly-cumbersome form.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by achmafooma



An Apple portable firewire superdrive would be a great idea, if you ask me. Make iDVD and all the Apple software recognize and work with it, sell it as BTO with the notebooks and seperately (and more expensively) as a standalone.

This way people who bought Macs not thinking they'd ever need to write DVDs and then get into DV work later (like me, actually) could just pick it up from Apple.com or an AppleStore and plug it right in. I'd buy one, I'm sure quite a few others would too. I'm not willing to buy a new computer just for this capability, I'm still paying off my 733mhz Quicksilver.

I know and have heard of lots of people who want a notebook and want to do editing on it without having to use a desktop for the output. This would give them that capability in an only-slightly-cumbersome form.

Exactly.

My Ti800 is 4 weeks old today, and I'd love to be able to burn DV to DVD (Digital8 is great but other people need a camcorder to view it). The 3rd party burners are fine but after the $400 for that you have to buy DVD SP to author it.

I would happily pay $500 for a DVD-R and iDVD *from Apple* that way they get a sale and with 2x A04 drives < $200 now, the margins are good.

Maybe we should all leave Apple feedback on this?

[Rocketman]

Originally posted by gotohamish
Three words:

BUILT TO ORDER

If Apple would simply support external dvd writers in software this issue of shortage would go away. Older Powerbook and iBook users will not benefit from the internal dvd release even when it eventually happens, but Apple could sell thousands of drives that work with their hardware externally.

Rocketman

[Rocketman]

Originally posted by Blackcat
As Apple killed off OWCs iDVD enabler, I'm hoping an external Superdrive will be released for existing and new Powerbooks. It would be easy to offer this until the next revision gets built-in slot loaders.

That enabler out to exist on some pirate download sites (for legit resale of course).

Rocketman

[gopher]

Originally posted by Blackcat


Exactly.

My Ti800 is 4 weeks old today, and I'd love to be able to burn DV to DVD (Digital8 is great but other people need a camcorder to view it). The 3rd party burners are fine but after the $400 for that you have to buy DVD SP to author it.

I would happily pay $500 for a DVD-R and iDVD *from Apple* that way they get a sale and with 2x A04 drives < $200 now, the margins are good.

Maybe we should all leave Apple feedback on this?

$550 from Formac:

http://www.formac.com/p_bin/?cid=solutions_drives_devideon

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by gopher


$550 from Formac:

http://www.formac.com/p_bin/?cid=solutions_drives_devideon

Expensive isn't it?

[iShater]

Originally posted by gotohamish
Three words:

BUILT TO ORDER

AMEN!!!!!!! :D

[achmafooma]

Originally posted by gopher


$550 from Formac:

http://www.formac.com/p_bin/?cid=solutions_drives_devideon


A slight bit on the high side if you ask me, does anybody know what kind of markup Formac puts on these things? Could it conceivably be sold for less?

I was at least vaguely familiar with this offering previously, but I was under the impression that it does not work with iDVD. Perhaps I'm mistaken.

Does anybody know if DVD Studio Pro has the same limitations as iDVD in relation to different hardware? Could I use DVD Studio Pro with this Formac drive?

Anyway, I still think Apple could make a killing with some external drives and/or more upgrade options! They don't sell an external DVD burner, and even more perplexing they don't make their internal one available to people like myself who would be willing to upgrade their PowerMac.

[lyoung-aptos]

Originally posted by Blackcat


Expensive isn't it?

I went to that site and found the price to be $399 instead of $550.

[achmafooma]

Originally posted by lyoung-aptos


I went to that site and found the price to be $399 instead of $550.

I went to it about 10 or 15 mins ago and it was $550. I saw this post and went back, and you're right -- it's down to $399.

Must be price-drop day at Formac.

Maybe they know something we don't ;-)

[Blackcat]

No external writer works with iDVD, which means Formac, Lacie and OWC are selling drives we can't use effectively without spending another $999!

Superdrives retail for $300, so Apple, Formac etc are paying more like $200-$250.

A nice solution could be $500 or less easily.

[gopher]

Formac sells their DVD burner with their own software which IMHO looks more capable than iDVD in some respects...I seem to remember reading that it could do 6 hours of video. If it is down to $399 with software, it may be worth an investment over other drives.

[Blackcat]

Originally posted by gopher
Formac sells their DVD burner with their own software which IMHO looks more capable than iDVD in some respects...I seem to remember reading that it could do 6 hours of video. If it is down to $399 with software, it may be worth an investment over other drives.

Have you seen any reviews of it? Getting 6 hours on a disc is more useful than iDVD, but I reckon quality will be poor.

Plus the drives are massive! I had a CDRW (same case) and it's about twice as big as a bare drive.

I like the OWC Mercury...

[Upright Joe]

I really hope they manage to get a superdrive into this PowerBook revision. It's the only thing I'm waiting for before I pick one up. The day it's available, I'm ready buy.

An external 3rd party drive would be an option for me because I just need DVD-R for backing up large audio files (I use my mac primarily as a hard drive recorder). It doesn't matter much to me if iDVD is supported. However, my upgraded B&W works fine right now. The main reason I want to go with a PowerBook is portability. Adding a big, clunky external firewire drive to carry around seems silly if I know they'll eventually be right there inside the laptop...

Oh well, I guess I'll know next week whether or not I'll be sporting a studio in a bag by the end of the year. The wait is driving me crazy...

[Mr T]

I am hoping that consumers vote with their wallets and tell apple to take a hike - especially in the high end powerbook arena. Not breaking the 1ghz mark is just plain wrong. No faster bus, no improved video. What have they been doing for the past 6 months? It looks like they have been taking drugs and getting addicted to Ecstasy. Hopefully they will drop the prices by about $1,299 because these upgrades are not competitive in today's market.


The poor iBook is so close to being the perfect portable and Apple will screw it up by not upgrading it with a 1.2 G3 The 13 inch screen in the same form factor is cool but they had better bring down the price to about a $1,000 A better idea might be to discontinue this model untuil they can find a faster chip so that it can handle OS 1o in a reasonable manner.

I say Boycott the suckers until they start making compelling produc:o

[kfury]

Everyone here is bit**ing about the evils of not having a superdrive, and how important it is for Apple to include a superdrive on these powerbooks, despite production, heat-generation, and size constraints, and how vital it is that Apple *somehow* they have to figure out how to procure, fit, and sell superdrives in powerbooks, because Damned Apple sees to it that iDVD won't work with external drives.

Has it occured to the masses that perhaps, in January, when much new Apple hardware is unveiled, giving TROU the desire to empty our wallets for new hardware, maybe, just maybe, Apple will rev iDVD and remove the Original Apple Internal Superdrive constraint?

You'll notice that Burn Disc and iTunes work just fine with third-party burners, though this wasn't the case at first (Que, for one, saying Apple was *very* slow in giving driver instructions to enable compatability with OS X iTunes).

Perhaps now that DVD-R is becoming much more common, Apple won't force users to buy new machines just to use iDVD. If Apple can't get slot-loading DVD-Rs in volume in time for January, they'll nearly *have to* allow third-party compatability with iDVD, elsewise the high-end powerbook crowd (which is a strong overlap with the Digital Video crowd, and make no mistake) will grow very frustrated, and may exert that frustration in ways that don't help Apple (buying Wintel DVD-R laptops, or Premiere).

It's just a thought, but I always assumed the Apple-Only Superdrive restriction was just for the first year or two. I don't think it's something that'll last another year, if even another two months.

Kevin Fox
Me, me, me! http://fury.com

[shadowfax]

yeah! apple should be subsidized by the government so that we'd never have to pay for this stuff and we could just get it and the government would fund them so well that they would make all the best products and it'd all be free because everything is overrated overpriced hell it's even overheated we need an apple communist revolution now yes hooray boycott the bastards and get a revolution



lol