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phytonix

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 26, 2006
388
15
I am surprised to find that my PB 12" 1.5GHz could import CD faster than my iMac 24". I think there must be something wrong with my iMac??

I was using the same CD and same setting: 192kps AAC vbr, error correct.

My iMac get about 7.x speed but my PB is about 11.x.

Any ideas?

update:
My iMac 24" basically import all kinds of CD at 5.x - 7.x speed.
 

bousozoku

Moderator emeritus
Jun 25, 2002
15,603
1,761
Lard
Do you have some PowerPC applications running on the iMac that require Rosetta to take memory from iTunes or are otherwise inhibiting all-out performance?
 

phytonix

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 26, 2006
388
15
no such problem.

After a little search at apple.com discussion, I found other people have similar problems too. Some claim it is because the superdrive from MATSHITA (Panasonic) sucks. I doubt it because my PB also uses MATSHITA superdrive.

I am now really unhappy about my iMac.
 

stolfi1

macrumors member
Mar 22, 2005
54
0
I have the same problem. My emac kicks the crap out of my intel imac when it comes to importing music, but my mac mini is a lot faster then both machines and its a core solo. My tech guy at school says imac are slower at burning and stuff because they do something to slow the hard drive down. He said there is a 3rd party app that fixes it.
 

Sam0r

macrumors regular
Jun 15, 2005
199
0
Birmingham, UK
I have the same problem. My emac kicks the crap out of my intel imac when it comes to importing music, but my mac mini is a lot faster then both machines and its a core solo. My tech guy at school says imac are slower at burning and stuff because they do something to slow the hard drive down. He said there is a 3rd party app that fixes it.

I think the iMac actually slows the optical drive down, watch the introduction of the iMac G4 where steve actually says that they'd have to slow the optical drive down if they made the iMac look like it does today..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMV6glb23kg
 

DsurioN

macrumors regular
Jan 7, 2007
127
60
Yes I've noticed my iMac superdrive is way slower than any other cd drive I use because it is vertical. They have to slow down the drive so it works properly when tilted vertically. It takes longer to initially load the files off the CD during Windows installation with boot camp on my iMac 2.0 ghz than on my 700 mhz celeron...
 

phytonix

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 26, 2006
388
15
I think the iMac actually slows the optical drive down, watch the introduction of the iMac G4 where steve actually says that they'd have to slow the optical drive down if they made the iMac look like it does today..

I see. Then why did they do it!
I love the G4 iMac better.
 

mopppish

macrumors 6502
Nov 27, 2005
356
1
When I use the external firewire CDR drive that I got a few years ago to go with my beige G3, my MBP sometimes hits speeds of 42X! :eek:
However, with the internal drive, it's MUCH slower.
I used to have an imac G5 and noticed the same problem. With the external it would max out around 25X but with the internal it was half that or less.
I've also noticed that speeds vary widely depending on which CD I'm ripping. It must have something to do with the way different suppliers manufacture or encode the discs.
It seems strange though that your PB drive is faster. I would expect them to be similar. In fact, your PB drive sounds faster than my MBP drive.
 

axboi87

macrumors regular
Aug 31, 2006
212
156
Dallas, Tx
Altivec

Yes, drives make a huge difference...but It's most likely the velocity engine. Yes the g4 is waayyyy slower than the core duo, but the velocity engine was a really interesting technology and mp3 ripping/encoding was one of it's specialities. SSE3 in intel core 2's is similiar, but 1. not as good 2. isn't well taken advantage of anyway in apple's os or apps
 
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