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Will the ComboDrive ever disappear??
- Thread starter MacSA
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Probably when the top-end machines start getting "mega-ultra-super-drives" (HD DVD or BluRay writing) then the lowest end machines can have DVD-writers as this will no longer be the same as the top-end stuff.
How long does anybody think we'll have to wait for that? Indeed, have Apple even decided which one they're going with?
Its just an artificial product line differentiator. If you look at the pricing of DVDRW's and DVDROM's, its basically the same (at least for 5.25" ones).
Apple just keeps it alive so they can make people pay to upgrade.
Dell sometimes does the same, although not often. Currently (in australia at least) they've got a combo drive only for the lowest desktop PC model, and don't even offer it for the laptops.
Its about time apple just made DVDRW drives uniform, it wouldn't cost them anything.
Apple just keeps it alive so they can make people pay to upgrade.
Dell sometimes does the same, although not often. Currently (in australia at least) they've got a combo drive only for the lowest desktop PC model, and don't even offer it for the laptops.
Its about time apple just made DVDRW drives uniform, it wouldn't cost them anything.
As long as Apple sticks with the "Good, Better, Best" model, there has to be a way to differentiate the different lines even if it means using 40GB hard drives, integrated graphics, Core Solo processors, 128MB VRAM or even Combo drives.
Regardless, "Good, Better, Best" sounds a whole lot better that "Best, Slightly Bester, Even a tad more Bester."
Regardless, "Good, Better, Best" sounds a whole lot better that "Best, Slightly Bester, Even a tad more Bester."
Dell gets away CD-ROMs and Combo Drives.
Yes they might, but have you seen the price of the hardware it comes in? We're NOT talking £700 laptops like Apple.
I couldn't find a CD/RW computer on Dells UK website. They have PC Base Units from £150 that have DVD burners. Compared to the £500 Mac Mini
Since I've never had occasion to write a DVD in the five years I've had access to a SuperDrive, I couldn't really care less.
As far as laptop side of things go, I'd rather they remove it completely and make the machine smaller.
Hardly ever use the optical drive while on the move so it's just excess space/weight to me.
Plus I put my old PC DVD-RW in a USB2 / Firewire enclosure and that does me fine for when I need to burn a disk.
As for the mini, I guess it's only there as ther is not much else to diferentiate the two models. Maybe they should just have one. That would probably be better. Keep the cheap model but with a dvd writer and everything else as an option (CPU really does not matter as the 2 are not that much different so they could skip that one).
Hardly ever use the optical drive while on the move so it's just excess space/weight to me.
Plus I put my old PC DVD-RW in a USB2 / Firewire enclosure and that does me fine for when I need to burn a disk.
As for the mini, I guess it's only there as ther is not much else to diferentiate the two models. Maybe they should just have one. That would probably be better. Keep the cheap model but with a dvd writer and everything else as an option (CPU really does not matter as the 2 are not that much different so they could skip that one).
It's quite easy to find no optical drive or a CD-ROM on Dell's workstations. The bottom of the barrel machines ship with Combo Drives and an upgrade to a full DVD burning drive for $US30.
Yeah, it's true. But of course, it's yet another thing Dell does that Apple should not!
I think Apple should offer a drive only upgrade instead of upselling us to the next model.Yeah, it's true. But of course, it's yet another thing Dell does that Apple should not!
Dell sells computers with regular CD-ROM's because there is still a huge demand in the business market for computers without burning capability. At some places it's seen as a security risk to have workers burning CD's of company documents.
Note that Dell's consumer sales department doesn't sell machines with CD-ROM's just the business and educational departments.
Note that Dell's consumer sales department doesn't sell machines with CD-ROM's just the business and educational departments.
Why is it that DVD drives in laptops (not just macs) are about half the speed of what's available to desktops? For instance the most you can get in a MBP is 8x on DVD burning, but 16x (and higher now I think) for desktops.
Physical size and acceptable power consumption. The drives Apple use in their laptops have to be very slim. The drive in a MacBook/Pro is somewhere between 1/3 and 1/4 the height of the drive in a desktop machine. So there is a lot less room for motors and more importantly vibration dampening and stabilisation. In addition faster spinning = more power used (and more heat generated) which is not good in a laptop.
Yeah, I think the dynamic stability issue is the biggest one, both for tray and slot-loading notebook drives. Although, to be honest, I don't really particularly need a CD/DVD burner much faster than what I've got. I guess I can understand that some others do, though.
They are technically there to make you buy more expensive stuff.
It worked. Even if I don't use it, I couldn't live knowing I didn't have such a basic option.
That's what I would have thought, too. Forget the differentiation at this point--use chips, graphics, base config of memory and HD for that.
Maybe if macbooks are revised in nov. as one rumor suggested?