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General discussion

CD/DVD burner contradictions

Jan 20, 2008 12:58AM PST

Way back in the mists of time (that is, sometime in 2007?well, that's way back for many computer users), I told of a CD/DVD burner I bought for my Sawtooth G4 tower (OS 10.4.11) from an online vendor recommended here. They sent me something meant to be used internally (though it had feet), and I tried installing it, with the result that I knocked out my Zip drive. I hoped that I wouldn't have to do any more mucking about inside the computer with that drive, even though I've installed RAM in the past without a bit of trouble.

I then decided that if I could, I'd use it as an external drive, but the geniuses (yes, that's what they are called) at the Apple Store told me that would make it too slow. I subsequently phoned the place where I had bought it and was assured that the drive should, indeed, fit inside the computer, but the man said that I could use it as a Firewire external drive if I got an enclosure. He even told me the model of enclosure I needed, but not knowing how to put the drive and its little jacket together, I didn't get one.

All well and good, but when I went to a the best-known Apple repair place in New York City?thinking that they might be able to advise me or put the thing into an enclosure for a reasonable fee?I was told that no, I shouldn't (couldn't?) put it into a Firewire enclosure, that they didn't even have one for that drive, but even if they had one, it was not advisable to do so. Advised me to try again to put it into the machine (or let them do it for a hefty price) or get an external drive from them (ditto on price). And of course, if I chose the first alternative, I'd have to cart it down in a taxi, wait to be served (long wait), leave it there for days or more, pick it up and then take it back in another taxi. That isn't on unless I have to do it.

Any idea who is right? I'd be inclined to believe the folks who sold it to me, but they are the ones who sold me a drive with feet, for heaven's sake. If I had wanted to insert it again myself, I would have done it, per Tekserve's recommendation. Apple Geniuses didn't suggest using it externally at all. I am totally at sea, and if I didn't like the idea of being able to burn files to a CD (esp. photos, which I could then take someplace to print them out, quaint as that might seem), I'd just skip the whole thing and consider the cost of the CD/DVD drive a loss.

I've gotten excellent advice on this so far, but there has been a new twist or two since the last time I wrote about it. Any ideas? At least, about who might be advising me best?

Most humbly grateful and with apologies for the length of this message,

jenny

Discussion is locked

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It's that drive again!
Jan 20, 2008 10:41PM PST

How about you forget about the "Drive with Feet" for a while and get the $34.99 solution to this problem.
This one will absolutely, positively, fit inside your G4 and does not have feet.
I recently purchased 2 of these. One went into a G4 like yours and the other into a Firewire enclosure.

Those Geniuses at the Apple Store, I wonder what they were smoking? Believe me, they were NOT what their title claims them to be.
Putting a CD/DVD burner inside an firewire external enclosure does NOT make it slow.

If the place that sold it to you says that it will fit inside a Firwire enclosure, it probably will.

I would really like to take a look at a picture of this "Drive with feet". All the internal CD/DVD's I have seen have a smooth surface on all sides, except the front and back of course.
By the way, do they still sell that device at that store? I still can't help feeling that they shipped the wrong thing to you.

Installing a CD/DVD into an external enclosure is really simple. Usually 4 screws, two plugs and you are done.


Good Luck

How's mumsie?

P

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My thought.
Jan 20, 2008 11:33PM PST

I have a few USB DVDRW drives and they are not much slower than the internals when it comes to recording. HOWEVER I abhor coasters and record at HALF the media or drive speed, whichever is lower so I may never see the 8 or 16X speed the drive is rated at.

Yes, my friends claim to record at such speeds but they also have a steady supply of coasters.

Bob