Do you use your Superdrive?

[greatm31]

In the final moments before a delicious BTO PB purchase, I ask myself: will I ever, ever have a need to use a Superdrive? It's slow and an extra $200 but I can't get one later if I want it. Who out there in the world wide has a Superdrive and uses it? Were you surprised to find it an essential element of your computing experience? I wonder.

[zim]

I have a superdrive on my iMac, 20", and love it. At first I did not use it much, mainly due to not having any DVD-Rs but now it is my primary, scratch that, only method of back up, besides my external. I have also done 2 DVDs, my wedding and my sister's wedding.

When I upgrade my powerBook, eventually, I will get the superdrive. I have the 667 powerBook, last one before they put the combo drives in them. I had to buy an external CD-RW for it and I never lug it around, sucks when I want to burn on the go.

[jemeinc]

I use it all the time... I don't even export my movies to videotape at all anymore... Just DVD's...

[AmigoMac]

I've done already nice movies, gotta love iMovie & iDVD ...

[applefan]

I use mine occasionally for my iMovies. I'm glad I have it. I really wish Apple would support DVDRW though. Why don't they? I think it would be a lot more practical for back-up purposes.

[stevehaslip]

i've never used the superdrive in my g5, not for dvd burning anyway. i guess i should back my stuff up every once in a while incase something bad happens but i haven't really had the time recently. but id be tempted to burn what i had to to cds as burning a dvd seems to take ages! how long can you burn a full data disc in?? just wondering out of curiousity?

if it was a dvdrw then maybe i would consider it, but that would probably be even slower?

if i made movies then maybe i would, but to back up graphic design work i burn it to a cd and catalogue it, never usually have more than a couple of cds per project. music on the other hand, it would be awesome to have a dvd full of mp3s and aacs! :p

[jbrjake]

In the final moments before a delicious BTO PB purchase, I ask myself: will I ever, ever have a need to use a Superdrive? It's slow and an extra $200 but I can't get one later if I want it.

A better question might be "Will I ever, ever have a need to use a DVD burner?" You might find a need to use a DVD burner in the future. Even if you don't do video editing, it can be useful to backing up data or cds.

The question to ask before spending the $200 on a Superdrive is: "Will I ever, ever have a need to burn a DVD when I am not around a power outlet? Will I need to burn DVDs on an airplane or a train or a cab? Or will I travel a lot and want to burn DVDs in a hotel room without lugging around an external drive?"

--If the answer to both questions is "no," get a Combodrive.

--If the answer to the first question is "yes" and the second "no," get a Combodrive. Then, later, if you need a burner, buy an external DVD burner. It won't be as portable, but it will be faster, and you have the option of buying a dual-layer burner that can write twice as much data...all for the price of Apple's Superdrive or, more likely, a lot less. If integration with Apple's DVD burning software is a necessity, there are safe, easy hacks that will trick the software into recognizing the burner. Most Mac stores like OtherWorldComputing will tell you which drives can be used with iDVD.

--If the answer to both questions is "yes," then, by all means, get a Superdrive.

[jcook793]

I have the Superdrive on my G5 and I used it once to burn a video DVD. I can't say it's really been worth the money for me, but I do plan on making more home movies in the future... I probably should have downgraded to a combo drive and bought an external DVD burner when I started to feel the need.

If you are worried about backups and you would typically do them at home, I'd spend the $200 instead on one of these:
http://www.lacie.com/products/family.htm?id=10007

Waaay faster backup.

[tekno_geek911]

I never thought I would use mine and I probably wouldnt have got a SD if I didnt get my new PowerBook So cheap($1200+shipping)
But I have burned 5 DVD's since last week,plus its nice burning my iTunes library to DVD so I can play my tracks in the living room.

[Horrortaxi]

I debated it a little when I bought my MDD. DVD burning isn't something I felt I was missing out on, but when in doubt always buy the bigger better technology. Now I use it several times a week. I rely on it and I wonder what the hell I was thinking before.

[seamuskrat]

A better question is will I ever use in ON THE ROAD.

I use my Superdrive all the time for DVD work. However, I also have a PB and I have yet to need to burn a DVD on the road.

Save the 200 and buy a nicer, faster external Firewire Superdrive.

Powerbook Superdrives are much slower than desktop models, for obvious reasons. If you are not a pro that needs to instantly burn in the filed, then hook up the external. YOu can get a 8 to 12 X external for the same you will save for the 2X internal.

Good luck.
In the final moments before a delicious BTO PB purchase, I ask myself: will I ever, ever have a need to use a Superdrive? It's slow and an extra $200 but I can't get one later if I want it. Who out there in the world wide has a Superdrive and uses it? Were you surprised to find it an essential element of your computing experience? I wonder.

[Windowlicker]

I actually bought a superdrive afterwards for my G4/733 this spring. then after a month I decided to buy a G5 as well ;) so now I have two superdrives and they both are used. a must-have with iMovie/iDVD.

right now I have a project going on.. I spent about 3 days to make a Apple Ad DVD with iDVD. It's ready now... I just need to render & burn it.