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Powerbook Superdrive!

From the sounds of the article this drive's internal, yet the new Superdrives for the Ti's are supposedly rumored to be external? It would make more sense to me for Apple to just wait until an internal option of the right size comes around instead of spending design time on a peripheral that will be unnecessary within a year.
 
In my opinion external would be a horrible choice and probably not a viable option for apple, they would probably wait until the superdrive was slim enough and that shouldnt take too long to engineer.
 
But of course

The last time apple had an external device like that was with what, the mac classic and it's hard drive?

With apple going big on design it just wouldn't make sense for them to even consider an external as an option.

An external drive doesn't really require that much research, it's just the same damn thing. Pioneer is probably looking to build the internal for apple, one of their big optical drive buyers.
 
Re: But of course

Originally posted by Sherman The last time apple had an external device like that was with what, the mac classic and it's hard drive?

With apple going big on design it just wouldn't make sense for them to even consider an external as an option.

An external drive doesn't really require that much research, it's just the same damn thing. Pioneer is probably looking to build the internal for apple, one of their big optical drive buyers.
Click to expand...

A couple of earlier Powerbooks have shipped with external floppy drives, i can't remember but i think the 1400 did...

But i definitely think apple will wait to unroll a thin unit rather than external--

:)
pnw
 
Re: Re: But of course

Originally posted by paulwhannel


A couple of earlier Powerbooks have shipped with external floppy drives, i can't remember but i think the 1400 did...

But i definitely think apple will wait to unroll a thin unit rather than external--

:)
pnw
Click to expand...

nope, not the 1400, but the duos did...
but this is 2002. Apple can have thin PowerBooks, and yet have internal superdrives. c'mon Apple...
 
didn't one of the original powerbook g3's ship with an external drive? i think it was only in japan.
 
Originally posted by crazy_will
didn't one of the original powerbook g3's ship with an external drive? i think it was only in japan.
Click to expand...

there was a PowerBook 2400, only sold in Japan. It was Apples last stab at a Duo, and probably came with external floppy and optical drive. No G3 I know of have shipped with any kind of drive externally to my knowledge. Let's hope the new PB G4 will not be the first model to break this tradition since 1996/7...
 
Originally posted by crassusad44


there was a PowerBook 2400, only sold in Japan. It was Apples last stab at a Duo, and probably came with external floppy and optical drive. No G3 I know of have shipped with any kind of drive externally to my knowledge. Let's hope the new PB G4 will not be the first model to break this tradition since 1996/7...
Click to expand...

your right, i found it at everymac.
http://everymac.com/systems/apple/powerbook/stats/mac_powerbook2400c_240.html
 
i hope it's external... when i want to cook hot cakes, i'll buy a range... i don't really want to cook them on my new powerbook.

i'd be more impressed by an internal 24x burner or something... 8x doesn't seem cool anymore.
 
Maybe they'll release a new PowerBook, then add the DVD-R later. Like what they did with the Combo drive. Give you an upgrade option later.
 
Ummm

The 2400 was not just released in Japan, it was released here in the U.S. also. It is still the smallest laptop Apple ever released, and was/is a great machine. It did have external drives though.


Gus
 
It's not just the size though....right?

Wouldn't a DVD burner consume more power than a CD burner? And if so, how will Apple compensate for this drain on what is the most precious commodity with a portable: battery life ?

Even if the size were doable in the PowerBook's 1" thick (thin?) form factor, would that make a superdrive practical if it drained the battery very quickly? If not, then either keeping with the current solution (i.e., loading and editing DV on the PowerBook and later transfering via GBit ethernet to a PowerMac for burning) or moving to an external bundled DVD-R that was supported under iMovie would seem to be the practical route for now.

RL
 
Re: It's not just the size though....right?

Originally posted by RogueLdr
Wouldn't a DVD burner consume more power than a CD burner? And if so, how will Apple compensate for this drain on what is the most precious commodity with a portable: battery life ?

Even if the size were doable in the PowerBook's 1" thick (thin?) form factor, would that make a superdrive practical if it drained the battery very quickly? If not, then either keeping with the current solution (i.e., loading and editing DV on the PowerBook and later transfering via GBit ethernet to a PowerMac for burning) or moving to an external bundled DVD-R that was supported under iMovie would seem to be the practical route for now.

RL
Click to expand...

For people such as myself, having a PowerBook with a built in Superdrive would be amazing!! Currently my PowerBook G4 acts as a complete desktop replacement system, so alot of the time it spends it time plugged in......

The idea behind having a built in DVD burning would mean that you wouldn't have to worry about finding someone or somewhere with a PowerMac to burn a DVD, you could do it directly off the PowerBook..... indeed it's impossible that you could burn a full DVD off a current battery without it going flat..... But when you're a freelancer like me, going from clients offices to clients offices, being able to directly burn a DVD without having to pester them for a DVD burner would be much more professional and much less time consuming.......

What's so wrong with having it as an option anyway??
 
Originally posted by Shadowfax
i hope it's external... when i want to cook hot cakes, i'll buy a range... i don't really want to cook them on my new powerbook.

i'd be more impressed by an internal 24x burner or something... 8x doesn't seem cool anymore.
Click to expand...

Well you wouldn't have to buy one with an internal Superdrive would you??? :rolleyes:

It's very likely to be a VERY expensive option!! So you wouldn't have to have one installed........ Simple..... but atleast Apple should if possible give people a choice of having an internal option......
 
external=good+ more profits, internal = good and tibook convienance

an external would be a great choice for the majority of powerbook g3,g4, imac g3,g4, emacg4, powermac g3 g4. already and use and those not sold yet. why let 3rd party suppliers like formac make all the money and if a copy of idvd is included and compatability with dvd pro also. this would be a huge seller if apple branded and supported for between 299-349. it would add to apples bottom line like the ipod. if the looks are stunning and apple adds windows capability i can see the profits. I for one would by one. and when they get it small enough for the titanium they can put it in the topline one. while still giving all the ibooks, and powerbooks without one an external option. great for dubbing and can get its power from the firewire bus. Hook up an ipod to it for istant burn of 4.7 Gigabyte of mp3 files
 
Re: But of course

Originally posted by Sherman
The last time apple had an external device like that was with what, the mac classic and it's hard drive?
Click to expand...

everyone is forgetting that the TiBook already had an external drive. Before the combo drive was available, you could get the TiBook with and external CD-RW. ;)
 
Re: Re: But of course

Originally posted by e-coli


everyone is forgetting that the TiBook already had an external drive. Before the combo drive was available, you could get the TiBook with and external CD-RW. ;)
Click to expand...

but that was not an apple solution, that was 3rd party. this rumor makes me think the external (let hope internal) would be an apple branded product.
 
Ill take an external DVD-R with an internal 24X CD-RW, 167mhz bus, 1.2Ghz 2MB Cache, 512DDR, ATI 9000 Graphics and Hi-Res Screen....

I'll pay up to $3500 w/ external drive

I want it in Oct!

Or


I will buy PC (ugh!). ----- Well, maybe not..
 
Just a question: Why do you guys care so much about Superdrives?

When I put a poll out about Superdrives, most people who have them never use them. And those who do only seem to use them for backing up data. Is it really necessary to shove a Superdrive into a Powerbook until DVD replaces CD as the standard media?

Isn't external enough for the little use these things seem to be getting right now?
 
Originally posted by Hemingray
From the sounds of the article this drive's internal, yet the new Superdrives for the Ti's are supposedly rumored to be external? It would make more sense to me for Apple to just wait until an internal option of the right size comes around instead of spending design time on a peripheral that will be unnecessary within a year.
Click to expand...
an external superdrive? what have u been smoking?
 
originally posted by tfaz1
Just a question: Why do you guys care so much about Superdrives?

When I put a poll out about Superdrives, most people who have them never use them. And those who do only seem to use them for backing up data. Is it really necessary to shove a Superdrive into a Powerbook until DVD replaces CD as the standard media?

Isn't external enough for the little use these things seem to be getting right now?
Click to expand...


i thinnk most of the people use Superdrive for DV--and my stereotype of someone using DV does NOT spend much time on this forum.

i have to say i personally would use a superdrive for backup--5 GB of mp3 is a b**** to span on CDs--but then, i would never pay a vastly huge amount of money to get one.

i think the core idea behind the powerbook is innovation--it's wholly different from almost any other laptop, from the widescreen TFT to the titanium to the incredible performance you get out of the little thing. buyers want the cutting edge, and external anything doesn't fit my particular stereotypes about "cutting edge" or "innovation." it sounds like an old, bad idea. would you buy a TV, for instance, that had half of its assembly "external?"

anyways, onto new speculations.

who wants to throw in bets on, assuming a new internal superdrive TiBook has the same form factor as the current, whether MCE puts out a superdrive for the last two TiBook models... they did it with the CDRW, as i recall.
 
I could live with a new PB that is thicker than 1", say 1.5" if it meant an internal DVD-R/CD-RW that had some zest to it. I would also give up the thickness for some buss speed and GHz level performance from the CPU.


I
 
I think Apple would be making a huge mistake to sacrafice the form factor to accommodate a Superdrive.

What percentage of laptop users need the ability to burn DVD's on the plane, in a car, waiting for a bus (etc...)? It's not like I don't understand how cool it would be to have a PowerBook with a Superdrive, but never at the expense of the it's design. How could you sacrifice it's shape for something as frivilous as a DVD burner?
 
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