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tibas92013

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 2, 2013
486
87
Costa Rica
I bought a Apple Superdrive around a year and half ago and I am thinking that I should buy another one for my Mac Mini 2012 in the near future as Apple may discontinue this product in the very near future due to it being very old technology. Any thoughts??
 

Negritude

macrumors 6502
Jul 14, 2011
297
199
FYI, there is nothing special about the so-called "superdrive". Any regular optical drive will work perfectly on a Mac.
 

Ulenspiegel

macrumors 68040
Nov 8, 2014
3,212
2,485
Land of Flanders and Elsewhere
I bought a Apple Superdrive around a year and half ago and I am thinking that I should buy another one for my Mac Mini 2012 in the near future as Apple may discontinue this product in the very near future due to it being very old technology. Any thoughts??

Can you please share your experience and impressions of the Superdrive? There are so many bad reviews, is it really so unreliable?
 

paulrbeers

macrumors 68040
Dec 17, 2009
3,963
123
Can you please share your experience and impressions of the Superdrive? There are so many bad reviews, is it really so unreliable?

Do not buy a SuperDrive. It's a terrible value. ANY USB external works with OSX. Even BluRay USB. For $20 you can get a good USB external. Even if it doesn't last, you can buy 3+ before you get to the price of one SuperDrive. Oh and there is nothing Super about the SuperDrive
 

Ulenspiegel

macrumors 68040
Nov 8, 2014
3,212
2,485
Land of Flanders and Elsewhere
Do not buy a SuperDrive. It's a terrible value. ANY USB external works with OSX. Even BluRay USB. For $20 you can get a good USB external. Even if it doesn't last, you can buy 3+ before you get to the price of one SuperDrive. Oh and there is nothing Super about the SuperDrive

Thank you for the information. I have to admit that some weeks ago I almost bought one, but decided to read some reviews...
I will opt for my fav brand then, Pioneer.
 

MRrainer

macrumors 65816
Aug 8, 2008
1,497
1,082
Zurich, Switzerland
I always want to buy one.
But then I make myself remember that I don't really create any new CDs or DVDs any more - haven't done so for a long time.
I've got a large DVD-writer drive (5.25") in an external case but it seems to be unable to read some older CD/DVD media I created on my iMac and the computers before the iMac (the iMac reads these)
Even at the time I actually created CDs/DVDs, they were mostly Boot-ISOs for FreeBSD and Linux-distributions - which I now run in VMWare Fusion at much higher speed and with more convenience.

Maybe if I can pick one up 2nd hand very cheap. But their resale value is quite high. They always sell for 60-80% of the as-new price. And that's pointless.
 

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
60,867
43,846
The Far Horizon
Well, as the happy owner of MBAs since 2010, I needed to buy a Superdrive (and bought the Apple as I still buy and use (and rip and burn) CDs, and will long continue to do so; indeed, I use it to watch DVDs, too.

Now, I will readily concede that it is not the best designed piece of technology ever devised by Apple. My personal experience is that is one is ripping a number of CDs - and, as I often work abroad for months at a time, I buy CDs, either nine or in shops and rip a number of them in one sitting, - the Superdrive gets a bit temperamental after a while, and slows down.

It works best in bursts, rather than continuously, and to be quite candid, can be a bit erratic. Some years ago, I had one replaced under Applecare, as it was faulty.

However, it is convenient for what I do; it is a form of technology that I need - as I still buy and play CDs - and therefore, while the technology exists, I imagine that I shall have one in one form or another.
 

tibas92013

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 2, 2013
486
87
Costa Rica
For the last year or so I have been using MacX Ripper Pro Software and my Apple Superdrive to "burn copies" of many, many of my favorate DVD's that I have purchased over the last 13 years.

I have been very satisfied with my Apple Superdrive which has not failed me once over the last year or so.

I prefer to watch these DVD Movies on my four DVD/Blueray machines that I have scattered around the house. Oh, here in Costa Rica they are presently selling new for around $120.00!
 
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iMac5,1User

macrumors newbie
Feb 23, 2015
13
0
New Jersey
I sadly think so. I think Apple is going away from cd's and DVD's with the execution of iDVD and Apple stopping all production of Macs with SuperDrives

I even remember when a their was an option for a SuperDrive ;)

I still use a iMac 5,1 with a fantastic SuperDrive:apple::apple:
 

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
60,867
43,846
The Far Horizon
Sometimes, I think that there is a misunderstanding of the way technology works.

Just because something new has been invented, and wins widespread acceptance, does not mean that the older technology is discarded or immediately rendered obsolete.

The invention of TV did not lead to people abandoning radios.

Likewise, for watching DVDs, and playing CDs, those of us with Apple computers will still probably continue to use the Superdrive for quite some time, as the technology is useful.

As I write this, in fact, the Superdrive is sitting beside me on my desk, and just beyond that, is a DVD (which my brother gave me) of Grand Hotel Budapest, a movie I have yet to watch but shall do so sometime soon…...

 

Ulenspiegel

macrumors 68040
Nov 8, 2014
3,212
2,485
Land of Flanders and Elsewhere
Sometimes, I think that there is a misunderstanding of the way technology works.

Just because something new has been invented, and wins widespread acceptance, does not mean that the older technology is discarded or immediately rendered obsolete.

The invention of TV did not lead to people abandoning radios.

Likewise, for watching DVDs, and playing CDs, those of us with Apple computers will still probably continue to use the Superdrive for quite some time, as the technology is useful.

As I write this, in fact, the Superdrive is sitting beside me on my desk, and just beyond that, is a DVD (which my brother gave me) of Grand Hotel Budapest, a movie I have yet to watch but shall do so sometime soon…...


I absolutely agree with you.
I kept my DVD players, though I have a blu-ray player. And I still have my Pioneer Video-DVD recorder combo.
By the way, Grand Hotel Budapest is not a usual movie. You have to be in the mood to watch it. Would be interesting to know what you think.
 
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