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Apple Superdrive Updates

kishba

kishba

macrumors 6502a
Dec 11, 2001
610
0
Michigan
damn i just bought a new tibook 800... it hasn't arrived yet but i will be one frustrated customer if apple annoucnes superdrive powerbooks right after i buy mine... :(
 
C

cyberfunk

macrumors regular
Jan 23, 2002
139
0
Power suckage ?

I'm wondering, does it take more NRG to burn your average DVD-R than a CDR ? Sure... it takes more time to burn, therefore it must use more laser energy.... but, per second of burning, does it use more energy? A consideration... can u burn a full disc on bat power ?
 
C

coolkamio

macrumors newbie
Jul 16, 2002
18
0
Re: Power suckage ?

Originally posted by cyberfunk
I'm wondering, does it take more NRG to burn your average DVD-R than a CDR ? Sure... it takes more time to burn, therefore it must use more laser energy.... but, per second of burning, does it use more energy? A consideration... can u burn a full disc on bat power ?
Click to expand...

Well...
A DVD-R takes about 29 min to burn.
4700Mbytes / 2,7Mbytes/s (2x DVD-R)
1740 seconds / 60 seconds = 29 min

The dvd-r in the market only use about a 20% more energy than cd-rw drives.
I think that an optimized superdrive for tibook can reduce the power consumption.
 
S

Scab Cake

macrumors member
Jul 26, 2001
81
0
I was wondering if anyone could provide some answers to these questions...

I'm pretty sure that it takes a laser temperature of approximately 200 degrees celsius to burn and crystallize a CD-R. Is the burning temperature the same for DVD-R?

What are the physical material differences between DVD-Rs and CD-Rs (other than the width of the coiled material in the disc)? Essentially, what are the compositional differences between CD-R and DVD-R?

I'm sure this would all factor into battery usage. I know that DVDs have to spin faster and, by nature, use more battery power. My extremely uninformed opinion would leave me to believe that Apple would have to provide new battery technology to include a superdrive (as well as a really efficient way to disperse the heat through the machine). I know that the latest revision of the powerbook supposedly resolved the heat issues, but I haven't had access to the new models. Anyone out there with some comparisons?
 
C

cryptochrome

macrumors regular
Jan 4, 2002
123
0
You know what the ironic thing is? If they can fit a superdrive in a TiBook, they could put it in an iBook too.

Man, if they came out with an iBook/Superdrive option I'd be all over that...
 
P

ponyboy

macrumors regular
Jan 27, 2002
217
0
SLC UT/Italy
Originally posted by kishba
damn i just bought a new tibook 800... it hasn't arrived yet but i will be one frustrated customer if apple annoucnes superdrive powerbooks right after i buy mine... :(
Click to expand...

That is the nature of the beast buddy... I bought my first G3 tower a month before they released the G4, had I been on these forums prior or even knew they existed I would have known. I am typing this on a Rev. A Tibook and believe me they have been updated far beyond my machine and I wish I had a new one.

I tend to think this rumor is true a good friend of mine and I were discussing the powerbooks and he said he wasnt buying one until they had superdrives, my comment was that'll be a while and he told me that he just finished shooting and ad for it... We'll see.
 
A

askien

macrumors newbie
Jul 17, 2002
7
0
Backtothemac said:

If they put one in the PowerBook, they will sell a lot of new PowerBooks! They won't put one in the iBook until it has a G4. The G3 just cannot handle it.

I can't think of one reason why the G3 wouldn't be able to handle burning DVD's. I can think of reasons why it would not be fast encoding MPEG's (the lack of Altivec acceleration,) but what about data DVD's with backups and such?

I really don't understand Apple's policy of having products that can't run some of its software, no matter how slow.

In my opinion they should make all software run on both G3's and G4's or get rid of G3's entirely.

This is irrelevant to desktop Macs because, except for the old iMacs they are all G4-based. What about iBooks, which are awesome machines otherwise? See, I don't want a powerbook. I want an iBook. It's small and sexy.

I would use a powerbook as a desktop replacement, or as a mobile computer, but not as a "real" laptop, you know, the kind you actually use all over the place. It's too big.

Oh, and it would be great if Apple could graft Altivec on top of the sahara chip.
 
C

coolkamio

macrumors newbie
Jul 16, 2002
18
0
Apple Expo Paris....

The Apple expo paris will be on Sep-10, anyone thinks or knows if the new tibook with superdrive, and the new Powermac will be presented in this expo?

I'm Spanish, and i'm thinking that a little travel to Paris would be great if apple presents the pro-line of his computers.

Uhmm...
Ohh happy day! ;)

Apple Expo Paris 2002
 
M

MacMaster

macrumors 6502
Jul 17, 2002
387
3
Re: Power suckage ?

Originally posted by cyberfunk
I'm wondering, does it take more NRG to burn your average DVD-R than a CDR ? Sure... it takes more time to burn, therefore it must use more laser energy.... but, per second of burning, does it use more energy? A consideration... can u burn a full disc on bat power ?
Click to expand...
Answer me this: Do you really need to burn a DVD when you're on the go (not near a AC outlet)? You're going to have made the DVD and then just plug it in and let it sit there and burn....
 
H

Hawthorne

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2002
198
0
In front of my Mac
Originally posted by askien
Backtothemac said:


I can't think of one reason why the G3 wouldn't be able to handle burning DVD's. I can think of reasons why it would not be fast encoding MPEG's (the lack of Altivec acceleration,) but what about data DVD's with backups and such?
Click to expand...

IIRC, a G4 is required to run iDVD, that's why.
 
mymemory

mymemory

macrumors 68020
May 9, 2001
2,495
-1
Miami
Well, this is a good news, I think that the problem with burning a CD or DVD in a TiBook is not the laser if no the spining, that is a electromotive engine and that consumes energy more than a lazr beam for sure, any way I think Apple is giving you the option of a mobile superdrive, the energy factor is not as important as the funcionality you are gonna get as a costumer.

Is good to hear we are gonna get a new drive soon.

But the processor, THE PROCESSOR!!!:confused: :confused: :confused:
 
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AndyAMPohl

macrumors newbie
Jul 30, 2002
1
0
Santa Cruz, CA
Which DVD-R?

No doubt this has been brought up before in other threads, but does Apple plan to pursue DVD-RW? A DVD-RW in a powerbook would be incredible. I heard Sony is planning on something for their next laptop.

Andy
 
I

iH8Quark

macrumors 6502
Jan 17, 2002
344
0
Big Shoulders
Re: Re: Power suckage ?

Originally posted by MacMaster

Answer me this: Do you really need to burn a DVD when you're on the go (not near a AC outlet)? You're going to have made the DVD and then just plug it in and let it sit there and burn....
Click to expand...

Some folks (especially in the city where real estate is around $300 / sq. ft.) have ditched the minitower as their home computer, and use portables. They take up so much less space, less cords, and are mobile.

Monitor = about 4 Sq. Ft.
$1200
+
Keyboard / mouse = about 2.5 Sq. Ft.
$750

-----------------

$1950 in space saved by getting a portable. AND you can remove it from the table easily and use the space for something else. Like dinner. :D

Yes. I would welcome a TiBook with SuperDrive.
 
Snowy_River

Snowy_River

macrumors 68030
Jul 17, 2002
2,520
0
Corvallis, OR
Re: Power suckage ?

Originally posted by iH8Quark


(especially in the city where real estate is around $300 / sq. ft.)
Click to expand...

Boy, I hope that I never live in that city... That would mean that a 1,000 sqft house would cost (I presume we're talking buying, not renting) $300,000! Whew. That makes my head spin...
 
eric_n_dfw

eric_n_dfw

macrumors 68000
Jan 2, 2002
1,517
59
DFW, TX, USA
Re: Which DVD-R?

Originally posted by AndyAMPohl
No doubt this has been brought up before in other threads, but does Apple plan to pursue DVD-RW? A DVD-RW in a powerbook would be incredible. I heard Sony is planning on something for their next laptop.

Andy
Click to expand...
The QuickSilver and G4 iMac SuperDrives are DVD-RW drives. iDVD just doesn't support it from what I understand. If you use Toast 5 you can use DVD-RW's with them. (Can anyone with a SuperDrive back me up on this?)

I would presume a TiBook SuperDrive would be the same.
-Eric S.
 
M

MacMaster

macrumors 6502
Jul 17, 2002
387
3
Re: Re: Which DVD-R?

Originally posted by eric_n_dfw

The QuickSilver and G4 iMac SuperDrives are DVD-RW drives. iDVD just doesn't support it from what I understand. If you use Toast 5 you can use DVD-RW's with them. (Can anyone with a SuperDrive back me up on this?)

I would presume a TiBook SuperDrive would be the same.
-Eric S.
Click to expand...
Yes their superdrives are DVD-RW drives. It would seem logical that iDVD would only support DVD-R disks (I can't check to confirm this right now). Toast 5 does support DVD-RW disks however.
 
I

iH8Quark

macrumors 6502
Jan 17, 2002
344
0
Big Shoulders
Originally posted by Snowy_River


Boy, I hope that I never live in that city... That would mean that a 1,000 sqft house would cost (I presume we're talking buying, not renting) $300,000! Whew. That makes my head spin...
Click to expand...

The sacrifice is worth the gain in other departments. ;)

(and, BTW, that's $300 sq. ft. for a loft. A 1000 sq. ft. house would be in the neighborhood of $0.5 mil. You have to buy the land it's on. :rolleyes: )

yes...if we could all live on cheap desert land....I mean sand... ;)
 
Arcady

Arcady

macrumors 6502
May 24, 2002
402
24
Lexington, KY
whiners

I love these guys who whine about just buying a PowerBook G4 and they can't burn DVD's.

"WAH! I had $3500 to spend on a laptop and I am too poor too spend $399 more for a DVD burner!"

Try running OS X on a 9600 for a few months and you'll quit your bitching. I was planning to buy a new Mac, but not after all the BS Apple has put upon us lately. I'm buying CPU upgrades, refurb and used Macs, and whatever else I can get that does not give Apple a cent. I have already bought 27 Macs in 18 years. And now they want $99 for a 2 cent email address. Screw them ....
 
Rocketman

Rocketman

macrumors 603
Dec 2, 2001
6,191
1,186
Claremont, The intellectual capitol of the world.
Re: Re: Power suckage ?

Originally posted by MacMaster

Answer me this: Do you really need to burn a DVD when you're on the go (not near a AC outlet)? You're going to have made the DVD and then just plug it in and let it sit there and burn....
Click to expand...

If you are capuuring DV video and have an under 20gb drive you might occasionally save to DVD. If you are a video editor you might save to tape, er, dvd, the final version for a customer review.

With more people able to do reasonably edited video with titles this may tricke down to lectures, graduations, weddings and other highly common events. I am sure Apple hopes leigions of TiG4 and DV camera equipped people are going around working.

Rocketman
 
eric_n_dfw

eric_n_dfw

macrumors 68000
Jan 2, 2002
1,517
59
DFW, TX, USA
Re: whiners

Originally posted by Arcady
I love these guys who whine about just buying a PowerBook G4 and they can't burn DVD's.

"WAH! I had $3500 to spend on a laptop and I am too poor too spend $399 more for a DVD burner!"
Click to expand...
While I tend to agree, the $399 burner (if you can find an external one for that much) will cost you about $1399 when you throw in DVD Studio Pro. iDVD doesn't support external burners.
 
W

woodsey

macrumors regular
Nov 15, 2001
154
0
Could cost big bucks.

I believe the current powerbooks are the most expensive ever!

I would hope Apple offer DVD-R as an optional extra, if not the price could jump quite considerably and be out of reach of many.
 
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