Does the new Macbook work with large bus powered drives?

[mcdj]

Since they omitted FW, I'm wondering if Apple amped up the bus power on USB. OWC and G-Tech have both said their drives over 160GB don't work on Macs without either a USB Y cable or an AC adapter.

Anyone have a +160GB bus powered drive to test on a new MB? If it works, it might slightly ease the lack of FW sting for some.

 

[ubercool]

Since they omitted FW, I'm wondering if Apple amped up the bus power on USB. OWC and G-Tech have both said their drives over 160GB don't work on Macs without either a USB Y cable or an AC adapter.

Anyone have a +160GB bus powered drive to test on a new MB? If it works, it might slightly ease the lack of FW sting for some.

I've been working on transferring files from my old MB to my new one all night and my 320GB external WD Pro Passport works fine with just the "fat cable" of the Y cable, so yes it provides plenty of power.

 

[Chundles]

I've been using a 320GB LaCie Little Disk on the machines in the store - works fine using just the retractable USB cable that is part of the disk.

Same on my BlackBook too.

 

[mcdj]

Ho-hum. I just received a G-Tech Mini 500gb (which, if anyone cares, is not as slim as the other Mini drives). With my Alum. MB, a USB Y-cable is required to power the drive. Fortunately I had one laying around. As mentioned, G-Tech says drives over 160GB may need a Y-cable. On the bright side, my 250GB G-Tech Mini works fine with a normal USB cable.

*EDIT* Double bummer. The drive doesn't work at all with an Xbox 360 (even with the Y-cable), which is specifically what I bought it for...to store media for playback on the 360. The G-Tech Mini 250GB works fine.

 

[mcdj]

No more G-Tech drives for me. After finding out the 500GB Mini doesn't work without the Y-cable, and doesn't work at all with an Xbox 360, I sold it and bought the 320GB Mini, thinking that the triple platters of the 500GB were probably what was requiring so much bus power.

Unfortunately, the 320GB has the same power issues. Y-cable only on the MB and no dice on the Xbox, or my newly acquired WD HDTV box. I don't know what G-Tech is doing to make these drives so power hungry, but it sure is frustating, as they are among the only drives with a power switch, which if using them for media storage, is essential to me.