Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
SuperDrive in PowerBooks-when?
- Thread starter BeerDrinker29
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
agreed
If they did put the superdrive into the PowerBook then they wouldn't be able to keep with the 1" thin formfactor. I think people would rather have the thinner, lighter laptop then dvd burning capability. Personally, I think a fast cd-rw drive or the combo drive (dvd-rom/cd-rw). If they ever do come out with a thin enough superdrive, then Apple will offer it in the PowerBook, but not until then.
As it stands, I don't burn too many cd's off my TiBook (yet), so an external burner is more then acceptable to me.
If they did put the superdrive into the PowerBook then they wouldn't be able to keep with the 1" thin formfactor. I think people would rather have the thinner, lighter laptop then dvd burning capability. Personally, I think a fast cd-rw drive or the combo drive (dvd-rom/cd-rw). If they ever do come out with a thin enough superdrive, then Apple will offer it in the PowerBook, but not until then.
As it stands, I don't burn too many cd's off my TiBook (yet), so an external burner is more then acceptable to me.
there is a small enough superdrive, it's just not really all that afordable ($10K from taiwan i think...)...and i wish i had an internal burner for my Ti, as it is i have to use the family 867 tower...
Power
You gotta also remember that if you use a Superdrive in a Powerbook when in battery mode, it will just kill the battery. Granted you could have it plugged in the times you need to burn a DVD, but the sorta defeats the idea of a portable. I understand your anguish, but if you wanna burn DVDs, get an iMac for now. If you wants portability, get a portable. Also, I don't think we will see drives available that small for some time...but if we do, Apple will do it.
You gotta also remember that if you use a Superdrive in a Powerbook when in battery mode, it will just kill the battery. Granted you could have it plugged in the times you need to burn a DVD, but the sorta defeats the idea of a portable. I understand your anguish, but if you wanna burn DVDs, get an iMac for now. If you wants portability, get a portable. Also, I don't think we will see drives available that small for some time...but if we do, Apple will do it.
Precisely. If you need to burn DVD's, and you're going to have to be plugged in anyway, just get a Firewire external DVD burner. The drawback, of course, is that iDVD doesn't currently support external DVD burners, but there are ways around that using Toast. DVD Studio Pro, however, does support external DVD burners.
People bemoan the cost of the top-end PowerBook the way it is.. add $600-$1,000 for a SuperDrive (it would probably be less, but who knows what sort of premium they would attach to such a tiny drive in the first revision) and people would really throw a fit.
People bemoan the cost of the top-end PowerBook the way it is.. add $600-$1,000 for a SuperDrive (it would probably be less, but who knows what sort of premium they would attach to such a tiny drive in the first revision) and people would really throw a fit.
a higher price would piss people off
maybe we will have to wait a little (maybe a year) for a superdrive, but by then, we may not really care too much ;-)
maybe we will have to wait a little (maybe a year) for a superdrive, but by then, we may not really care too much ;-)
I gather that you have not been keeping track of where the PowerBook prices have gone. They are already dropped, compared to what the G3 powerbook line was selling for.
I don't see Apple reducing the price of their PowerBook line in the near future (or this year). I do expect to see faster processors, larger hard drives, more memory, higher video card spec.'s and such. All for the same price as we pay now. The only change might come if they offer a BTO with the superdrive (don't expect that this year either).
PowerBook and ext. DVD rom Drive
I have been thinking of buying a NEW G4 PowerBook; but think I will have to go desktop instead for the ONLY reason because of the Super Drive. Can I get a G4 PowerBook and ext. DVD-Super Drive to burn DVD's? What is every recommending on a ext. Super Drive? Which brand?
Greg
G3 PowerBook Pismo Firewire
I have been thinking of buying a NEW G4 PowerBook; but think I will have to go desktop instead for the ONLY reason because of the Super Drive. Can I get a G4 PowerBook and ext. DVD-Super Drive to burn DVD's? What is every recommending on a ext. Super Drive? Which brand?
Greg
G3 PowerBook Pismo Firewire
yeah i have only been keeping track of pb prices for just 2 months only because Im looking to buy one. The lowest Ive seen it was from circuit city when they had 550 dvd ones going for 1699.....thats the lowest ive seen um. they sold out quick. other then that the lowest i can get the one i want 550 combo drive is 2061 (somewhere around there)....thats apple education discount. all the others are as low as 2169 (something like that).
but yeah im not to versed on the prices more then two months ago.
krossfyter
The first release of the TiBook was $2500 and $3500 for the 400MHz and 500MHz systems (in that order). Since then, Apple has increased the specifications, AND dropped the prices. I think they are as low as they will go, unless something happens to drop the cost of the components that they are using.
The first release of the TiBook was $2500 and $3500 for the 400MHz and 500MHz systems (in that order). Since then, Apple has increased the specifications, AND dropped the prices. I think they are as low as they will go, unless something happens to drop the cost of the components that they are using.
oh crap. well they sure have done a great job of lowering the prices and adding more to them since then. forgive my ignorance.
You were forgiven when you mentioned that you had only been looking for the past couple of months...
Is anyone forgetting that the current Superdrive is tray-loading and the current PowerBook is --Insert Optic Bay Type Here--
The whole DVD burning thing is all good, but who will really need to do that on a laptop anyway. Maybe 1 to 2% of all users??? For speed, battery and price reasons, I think it will be quick some time before we see this happen. At least a year, if not longer. For home movies and stuff you need it, but they can always do the burning on a regular station, not a laptop.
Remember...
...that not all people who would like to use a DVD burner are the same ones who can afford to have two computers. If they then need a portable computer, the only solution is to buy an external drive, but that's one more item to bring with you all the time: Very impractical. So please don't tell me that no one in the world could have any use for a superdrive in the portable computer. That's what some people said about CD burners on this site a year ago. And I know for a fact that people finde those things useful.
...that not all people who would like to use a DVD burner are the same ones who can afford to have two computers. If they then need a portable computer, the only solution is to buy an external drive, but that's one more item to bring with you all the time: Very impractical. So please don't tell me that no one in the world could have any use for a superdrive in the portable computer. That's what some people said about CD burners on this site a year ago. And I know for a fact that people finde those things useful.
Re: Remember...
Impractical??? What is impractical is spending (realistically) $4K on a very good machine that you would like to do your "DVD Burning on the go" on. If you are going to have this kind of money, buy the lower processor modem and take the extra cash, find a little more and buy yourself a second machine. I had stated that only 1 - 2% of people would use a DVD Burner on a laptop. Realistically, I would use if it were available, but it isn't going to kill me if it isn't. I don't "have" to have a DVD Burner in my laptop. If it was all that important, I would just buy an external one and life with it. I would have to carry along my Digital Camcorder anyway. I never stated that "now one in the world could have any use for a superdrive in the protable computer". There are a lot of great uses for them. But again, it bumps up the cost, produces a lot of heat and if you have enough time to burn the DVD in your "portable" state, you probably won't have enough battery power anyway. Because to be truely "portable", you would probably be on the scene of a Movie set next to Steven Spielberg.
Let me clarify this. It would be very, very nice to have a superdrive in a TiBook. But realistically, it isn't going to happen in the next year or so. First, they need to make them. Second, they have to deal with the heat and battery issues. Third, the cost would have to come down for people to want to buy them. The TiBook is designed for business/graphics professionals who need and want portability. Not necessarily the ones who see a huge need to burn dvd movies on the go.
Impractical??? What is impractical is spending (realistically) $4K on a very good machine that you would like to do your "DVD Burning on the go" on. If you are going to have this kind of money, buy the lower processor modem and take the extra cash, find a little more and buy yourself a second machine. I had stated that only 1 - 2% of people would use a DVD Burner on a laptop. Realistically, I would use if it were available, but it isn't going to kill me if it isn't. I don't "have" to have a DVD Burner in my laptop. If it was all that important, I would just buy an external one and life with it. I would have to carry along my Digital Camcorder anyway. I never stated that "now one in the world could have any use for a superdrive in the protable computer". There are a lot of great uses for them. But again, it bumps up the cost, produces a lot of heat and if you have enough time to burn the DVD in your "portable" state, you probably won't have enough battery power anyway. Because to be truely "portable", you would probably be on the scene of a Movie set next to Steven Spielberg.
Let me clarify this. It would be very, very nice to have a superdrive in a TiBook. But realistically, it isn't going to happen in the next year or so. First, they need to make them. Second, they have to deal with the heat and battery issues. Third, the cost would have to come down for people to want to buy them. The TiBook is designed for business/graphics professionals who need and want portability. Not necessarily the ones who see a huge need to burn dvd movies on the go.
keithcobbett
I think you have many good points there. I am SURE more than 1-2% of people would have use for a DVD-Burner (ever tried to back up the whole HDD to CDs) BUT it would only be 1-2% or less that NEED a portable DVD burner. Until they can get DVDs burning at AT LEAST 1x for EVERYTHING (eg. encode, prepare and burn) they are just not a useful option for a device with such a short battery life. Portables are not designed for high impact non-processor based work (eg. DVD burning) for very practical reasons.
I think you have many good points there. I am SURE more than 1-2% of people would have use for a DVD-Burner (ever tried to back up the whole HDD to CDs) BUT it would only be 1-2% or less that NEED a portable DVD burner. Until they can get DVDs burning at AT LEAST 1x for EVERYTHING (eg. encode, prepare and burn) they are just not a useful option for a device with such a short battery life. Portables are not designed for high impact non-processor based work (eg. DVD burning) for very practical reasons.
Honestly, I have found an external firewire hard drive more usefull. I have yet want, or need, to burn cd's someplace where I cannot set up my external burner.
Just wanted...
...to get rid of all the usual "you don't need it" stuff. Personally I have no use at all for a DVD burner or a DVD player. My post wasn't aiming specifically at Keith's post (then I would have included your user name wouldn't I). I would rather go with an external hard drive (good for backup, too). I'm just fed up with people saying "why bother, you don't need it". Of course you don't need it. Honestly, you don't really need a DVD player or even a TV either, do you?
...to get rid of all the usual "you don't need it" stuff. Personally I have no use at all for a DVD burner or a DVD player. My post wasn't aiming specifically at Keith's post (then I would have included your user name wouldn't I). I would rather go with an external hard drive (good for backup, too). I'm just fed up with people saying "why bother, you don't need it". Of course you don't need it. Honestly, you don't really need a DVD player or even a TV either, do you?
to DNA...
Sorry about that. I was having a bad day. You are absolutely correct though. You really don't "need" a burner, but you are also right, I would be a great thing to have. But, a Acura NSX would be a great thing to have also.
Sorry about that. I was having a bad day. You are absolutely correct though. You really don't "need" a burner, but you are also right, I would be a great thing to have. But, a Acura NSX would be a great thing to have also.
Re: to DNA...
I agree that you don't need a burner, but you DO NEED an NSX. It's one of life's necessities.