Advice: Internal CD Burner in FW case?

[MrCommunistGen]

I recently disassembled my mostly nonfunctional LaCie 52x FireWire cd burner attached to my iMac DV (I'm pretty sure the problem is with the motor, but the warrany is over now ). I'm looking to replace the ATA burner rather than buying another one with a case and FW interface (from LaCie, OWC, etc) to save money. Now I SHOULD be able to replace it with just about any burner I find right? I was planning to stick with a brand like Sony or Memorex just to be sure of quality, but using Toast 5.2 or iTunes 4.5 I should be able to burn CDs right?

Thanks

-MCG

 

[DarylF2]

Pretty much any IDE burner should work, but I'd look at the Accelerate Your Mac! Drive Combatibility Database for compatibility information first.

I recommend LiteOn mechanisms, as they are fast, have fairly good quality and are inexpensive. I have a LiteOn LTR-40125S (40x CD-RW) installed internally in my dual 1.0 GHz G4 (since its internal, it even works as a burner with iTunes).

As far as I know, Apples iLife applications can read from external drives, but cannot write to *any* external CD-R/W or DVD+-R/W burners (if I'm wrong, please correct me)...

 

[DavidLeblond]

I put an external DVD+RW in a USB 2.0 case and could get it to read but not write to the drive. Then I installed a program called Patchburn II (you'll have to google it, I'm too lazy to do so ). After I used Patchburn it wrote to the drive with no problems. Then after using the iDVD hack (again, google) even iDVD could use the drive with no problems.

Of course Patchburn II is a hack so YMMV

 

[MrCommunistGen]

correction

As far as I know, Apples iLife applications can read from external drives, but cannot write to *any* external CD-R/W or DVD+-R/W burners (if I'm wrong, please correct me)...

I used to burn CDs using iTunes using my External LaCie with a 52x LiteOn 'till it kicked the bucket...

-MCG

 

[crazzyeddie]

I did this with my external Que! drive. I bought the Lite-On LTR-52327S drive, and it is Apple supported (meaning no Patchburn needed for iTunes, Finder, etc). It is fast and quiet... however it seems that it has been replaced with a new version which I cannot find any Mac compatibility info for. However, the same drive with a black bezel is available still for $34.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-106-197&depa=0