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MacBook Air SuperDrive... For my Powerbook?

B

bobznc

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 12, 2006
64
0
Chicago, IL
Hello,

The optical drive in my 12" Powerbook died years ago, instead of repairing it, I bought a Lacie external DVD-recorder which passed away about a month ago. I've been in the market for an new external DVD-drive, especially an easily portable one. At $99 and from Apple, this would be a definite buy.

I know third-party optical drives can be easily patched, so do ya'll know/ anticipate if this will be useable as well?
 
well apparently it has to be the air, according to both apple.com and feedback from macworld, why theyd do this is very strange, lacei make a few mac compatable slim opticals.
 
I was going to try it out when they got them.

Won't make sense for Apple to make it so it works only on the MB Air. I have a basic stock Mini I'd like to throw it on, as well as use it for my Thinkpad X31 sub-note...
 
I'd like to use this with my original macbook. I don't see why it wouldn't work really? The only thing I can think off is that my Macbook sometimes struggles with external USB harddrives (to power them)

The fact that it looks smart and only requires usb power is great.
 
I remember hearing somewhere around here that the external MBA drive only works as a read device, not a write device, because of limited USB power. So forget burning CDs/DVDs if that was your intention.
 
wallaby said:
I remember hearing somewhere around here that the external MBA drive only works as a read device, not a write device, because of limited USB power. So forget burning CDs/DVDs if that was your intention.
Click to expand...


There is some truth.

I have an older DVD/CD-RW mobile USB external and on my TP X31, it reads only on the rear USB, and reads/writes fine on the left side USB. I think it has to do with the rear one is a low power port (for like mice or printers that don't need power) and the side one is a regular powered one for external drives.

The Apple External drive probably has a minimal power requirement as well that not all computers may meet.

Next question: When's the Blu-ray/HD DVD version out? :D

Can you just gut it and get one of your own drives to stick in?

http://www.slidirect.com/web/do/pub/category/view?id=26
 
MBA Superdrive compatibility

I've just tried one with my PB 12" & nada...

Stoooopid of Apple, I will now return it and they have lost a sale - don't know why they would cut out a larger market than the MBA shares
 
Ya'll do realize that the MacBook Air SuperDrive specifically states that it only works on the MBA USB port, right? It requires higher power than the official USB specification, and I believe the port only supplies that level power to that drive. No previous port would be able to handle, but it's likely that Apple will do the same to future computers. No guarantees.

Sorry, but it's your own fault if you messed up. Apple's not losing much by you not buying the drive for your PowerBook, because you're likely to end up upgrading sooner if you can't get an external drive working. I'm not sure they'd care anyways.

jW
 
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