Apple SuperDrive: NO INFORMATION?

[Laurent]

The SuperDrive (DVD±RW/CD-RW) allows you to create music and data CDs, read DVDs, and create DVD-video discs for playback on most standard DVD players. Along with Apple's iDVD software, your Mac mini is a full-featured DVD authoring studio. The SuperDrive reads DVDs at 8x, writes to DVD-R at 4x, writes to DVD-RW at 2x, writes DVD+R at 4x, writes DVD+RW at 2-4x, reads CDs at 24x, writes to CD-R at 16x, and writes to CD-RW at 8x. The drive supports CD-ROM, CD-Audio, CD-R, CD-RW, CD-I, Mixed Mode CD, Photo CD, Video CD, Enhanced CD, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, and DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW media.

Great... But that doesn't tell me exactly who produced my SuperDrive and it's serial number... I just bought a Mac mini, but I am not home right now so I can't check throught the Apple System Profiler to get technical information about my B.T.O. SuperDrive. I am glad to hear that it's now compatible with DVD+R media, but since when? How many versions of SuperDrive did Apple released? Is it still made by Pioneer? Can someone list the different versions of SuperDrive that were released since it's introduction?

 

[Bear]

If you had searched the MacRumors Forums, you would've found out lots of information about superdrives.

Apple has used drives from at least 3 manufacturers and multiple models from each manufacturer.

And if you had searched Apple's support site, you would have found some information about DVD+R's including Article #300665, which talks about the Macs that have DVD+R capable SuperDrives.

 

[dejo]

My question is: Does it really matter to you WHO made your SuperDrive?

 

[Laurent]

If you had searched the MacRumors Forums, you would've found out lots of information about superdrives.

Apple has used drives from at least 3 manufacturers and multiple models from each manufacturer.

And if you had searched Apple's suppport site, you would have found some information about DVD+R's including Article #300665, which talks about the Macs that have DVD+R capable SuperDrives.

The search engine wasn't working at that time, and I still don't know what brand SuperDrives are...

 

[Bear]

The search engine wasn't working at that time, and I still don't know what brand SuperDrives are...

Does it really matter what brand your SuperDrive is?

Also, you won't know for sure what brand/model you have until you check your own machine. Apple has been known to use more than one SuperDrive model in the same product. It depends on what Apple has in stock when the machine is put together.

Also remember, even if Apple only went with one manufacturer, at a minimum you would have several models of SuperDrives. Think about it...tray and slot loading versions, as well as 1x, 2x, 4x, and 8x drives.

 

[photoman]

The "Superdrive" is an all inclusive term used by Apple I know it has at least been manufacterd by LG (Apple iMac 800mhz) 2x i believe and in my dual 1ghz MDD it is a Pionner DVR-104 4x.

 

[Bear]

The "Superdrive" is an all inclusive term used by Apple I know it has at least been manufacterd by LG (Apple iMac 800mhz) 2x i believe and in my dual 1ghz MDD it is a Pionner DVR-104 4x.

LG? Really? Well that would make it at least 4 manufacturers Apple has used for SuperDrives.

 

[Diatribe]

Apple is weird with their drives... the new ones in the G5s have been dual layer for a while now but Apple just refuses to implement it and rather prohibits it via firmware. OSX is fully capable of using external AND internal dual layer drives...
Apple doesn't always say everything when it comes to their products... actually they NEVER say everything when it comes to their products...

 

[tubedogg]

My question is: Does it really matter to you WHO made your SuperDrive?

The "who" might matter more than the serial number...I can't see any reason why the serial number on a drive like that would really matter. Sometimes certain media works better with certain drives, so I can see "who" being a slightly more important consideration.

 

[Laurent]

Of course it matters! Why would I ask that question if it didn't matter? I needed to check for region-free firmware patches, potential upgrades, etc. The SuperDrive in the Mac mini is a Matshita (A.K.A. Matsushita, or Panasonic in Europe and America UJ-835F. Panasonic provides information for the UJ-835B, but nothing is said concerning the UJ-835F. Apple was known in the past to change model numbers of such drives in order to hide superior hardware than what is being told in the technical specifications sheets.

The UJ-835B burns DVD-R at 8x, but is incompatible with DVD+R, so I doubt this candidate as what might be hidden by Apple.

 

[Bear]

...
The SuperDrive in the Mac mini is a Matshita (A.K.A. Matsushita, or Panasonic in Europe and America UJ-835F.
...

It's not good to do a blanket statement like that. Apple has been known to use different SuperDrive models in the same product revision.

It may be true on all the Mini's you've checked. And maybe on one sother people have checked. Heck, it might even be true for now, but at any time Apple could switch the vendor due to availability or other reasons.

 

[Laurent]

It's not good to do a blanket statement like that. Apple has been known to use different SuperDrive models in the same product revision.

It may be true on all the Mini's you've checked. And maybe on one sother people have checked. Heck, it might even be true for now, but at any time Apple could switch the vendor due to availability or other reasons.

The fact is that actually, Apple is using that drive in the Mac mini. They can decide to change this whenever they want. They can also decide to cease production of the eMac, launch new software, fire somebody important, launching Mac OS X for x86 processors, stop including Apple stickers with their computers or increase the default amount of RAM on every models. They can do whatever they want! All I am saying is that, as for now, Apple is using that drive in the Mac mini.