While the value of the MacBook Air might be up for debate, the $99 price of the portable USB SuperDrive that can be purchased as an add-on is not. However, those of us thinking we might be able to pick up a nice travel-sized SuperDrive on the cheap will have to look elsewhere.
For some reason, Apple has decided to hobble the MacBook Air SuperDrive. Despite being a USB device which should work with any Mac or even PC, it will only work with the MacBook Air. A call in to Apple has confirmed that the system requirements listed online are correct, and a MacBook Air is required to use the drive. (There go our dreams of using it with our Apple TV’s USB port).
This of course sucks. We’d like to think that somehow Apple has discounted the SuperDrive so low that it can only recoup its costs by subsidizing it with MacBook Air purchases, but since a SuperDrive can’t cost Apple more than $30 to make, we are left thinking WTF? The only thing we can figure is that Apple’s bizarre choice to continue to offer a Combo Drive model on the MacBook has proven so successful in forcing people to fork over an extra $200 to get a MacBook with a SuperDrive that they don’t want to risk cannibalizing those sales.
There are other companies that make USB powered DVD burners, completely bus powered by standard USB. See here, here, and here. Some offer AC power adapters that allows them to burn faster, but bus-powered burners are relatively common now.
We’re not sure how Apple has gone about implementing this “feature” – whether through software drivers exclusive to the MacBook Air or through some hardware hack on the SuperDrive end – so we’ll have to wait 2 weeks to see if some resourceful folks can find a way around this.
News source: Macenstein
http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/01/15/a...ces-macbook-air <-- announcement
http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/01/16/m...-really-that-in <-- "rip off" opinion piece
http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/01/16/a...ails-to-impress <-- how MacWorld seems to have affected AAPL stock
I wonder if any hackers will get this working on Linux/Windows/Other Apple products in the coming weeks.
If people are bashing Apple maybe they have a reason for it, in my case i don't have any, since i don't care.
Let's get made at any company for not supporting older operating systems for that matter. That stinks! If you don't like the idea of not being able to use the device on any other MacBook, THEN DON'T BUY IT!!!! But this isn't something new, it isn't new to any company.
Is it a gimmick to make more money? Hell yeah, but is it new like some of you are trying to represent it as, HELL NO!
So you're telling me the SuperDrive made specifically for the Air can only be used for the Air? Astonishing.
And what exactly has that got to do with the MacBook Air SuperDrive? It doesn't matter what restrictions are present on other systems - what matters here is that Apple is needlessly limiting the fuctionality of a product.
Also, everyone already is annoyed that DX10 doesn't work with XP/2000... stop using this as an excuse to criticise Microsoft when it is Apple that is in the wrong.
ok quick poll, who is happy that MS did not make DX10 compatible with XP/2000... i dont think anyone would defend MS for that..
You are implying that people who think that Apple is being lame and stupid are at the same time praising MS for doing things that are equally lame and stupid. I'm pretty sure that most people are perfectly capable of criticizing both companies while at the same time staying on topic....most people.
of course we'd have to wait till the thing launches to see if anyone does it. all it takes is some soldering or even a gender changer on the end. the single usb port on the Air is probably why the drive has only one cable in the first place.
We have portable DVD / CD-RW's at work that work off a standard USB port and the same port powers it with no problem.....
Not 5-amps man...that'll deep fry the USB port itself. It is 500-milliamps MAX rating for a standard USB port. Don't know if Apple follows the standard usb port power rating. It might be higher as laptop DVD Burners suck up around 2A on a 5V-DC line.
Not 5-amps man...that'll deep fry the USB port itself. It is 500-milliamps MAX rating for a standard USB port. Don't know if Apple follows the standard usb port power rating. It might be higher as laptop DVD Burners suck up around 2A on a 5V-DC line.
Yeah, 5amps at 5V?!?!? Ain't no way you're powering 25 watts out of a standard USB port.
The other external, USB-powered drives in that article run on two USB ports, while Apple's runs on just the one super-charged USB port. If you plug it in to another computer, how is it going to be powered? Apple designed the MacBook Air SuperDrive to work with the MacBook Air. (I wonder if the name of the drive gave it away?)
Come to think of it, since the new Apple keyboard draws enough power from the iMac's USB port to power both USB 2 ports on it, I wonder if you could hook up the Apple keyboard to the MacBook Air and subsequently use one of those external drives that uses two USB ports? Then you can just tear apart the keyboard and shorten the wires so that you essentially get a USB splitter that gives full power to both ports, or wait for a 3rd party peripheral to do the same.
Well, I was referring to when the inevitable power-switching glitch happens.
Well, I was referring to when the inevitable power-switching glitch happens.
I am sure there's a lot of QA done to these power devices. Power-switching glitch? You mean noise, thermal noise, current leakage, voltage spikes, or shoot-through? I assume Apple's QA and Test Engineers should have that taken care of.
Well, I was referring to when the inevitable power-switching glitch happens.
I am sure there's a lot of QA done to these power devices. Power-switching glitch? You mean noise, thermal noise, current leakage, voltage spikes, or shoot-through? I assume Apple's QA and Test Engineers should have that taken care of.
One would assume they paid attention to virii on iPods, exploding batteries, and flaming mag-power connectors, too, eh?
...and? Just buy a generic one for the Sony... They have those at Wal-Mart.
Oh well, serves anyone who's stupid enough to buy one of these right for having too much money.
This really wouldn't be such an issue if the mac fanboys would have kept their mouths shut before the keynote instead of saying how great Jobs and his company were going to be.
that's why...
I just sit and giggle
I predict the next mac product will be
icrow.....mmmmm tastes yummy
This really wouldn't be such an issue if the mac fanboys would have kept their mouths shut before the keynote instead of saying how great Jobs and his company were going to be.
that's why...
I just sit and giggle
I predict the next mac product will be
icrow.....mmmmm tastes yummy
Till that happens I suppose we'll just have to sit and just laugh at you instead
This really wouldn't be such an issue if the mac fanboys would have kept their mouths shut before the keynote instead of saying how great Jobs and his company were going to be.
that's why...
I just sit and giggle
I predict the next mac product will be
icrow.....mmmmm tastes yummy
Till that happens I suppose we'll just have to sit and just laugh at you instead
It's pretty much been served already, did you miss it?
It's even worse now that they run the same hardware as the rest of the industry. Now the only thing truly proprietary in a Mac is the boot firmware and the cipher key in the TPM chip...
I love your user name! (really! no sarcasm)
Did you know it still has the meaning of "Clockwork Orange" though?
The difference is going to be that these other companies will include the obviously lacking components of the air.
and they'll have an optional drive that will work with any machine.
Just a thought
But its not the lacking things that makes you mouth of about this items, its the logo, they could have everything and you'd still find something wrong.
You must be really hurting that the drive that you get for the Air onlyworks with the Air, my that really is a big deal
But its not the lacking things that makes you mouth of about this items, its the logo, they could have everything and you'd still find something wrong.
You must be really hurting that the drive that you get for the Air onlyworks with the Air, my that really is a big deal
when r u gonna realise if it was any other laptop with(without) these features, we would complain just as much...
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