[- - e r i k - -]

The new eMacs have a 4X Superdrive.

While I haven't received my new $3,299 17" PowerBook yet (9 days and counting) is it really true that it's DVD-R can only burn at 1X speed, making a $1,299 eMac four times faster?

How does this make sense?

[euchomai]

The emac won't fit into a 17" leather case though. That, my friend is where the price is!

[- - e r i k - -]

Originally posted by euchomai:
The emac won't fit into a 17" leather case though. That, my friend is where the price is!

I know where the price is at, but how come Apple put these fine 4x (or even 2x) models into every other computer but the most expensive ones?

[Eug]

Laptop drives are traditionally slower. They are physically smaller and are more delicate. Your question is like asking why our laptops don't have 52X CD-RW burners.

That said, on paper the UJ-815 (according to Matsushita) is a 2X burner, not a 1X. Unsubstantiated rumour has it that 2X burning on the drive was unreliable though, so Apple fixed the firmware to 1X.

Indeed, while I don't doubt we'll have 2X DVD-R burners at some point, I'd be surprised if we got 4X DVD-R burners in our laptops even by 2005.

[tanhauser]

who knows, maybe they don't fit into the PB17 case, maybe they're newer revisions. There could be many different reasons, the point being that it's probably not as simple as you make it sound.

And if you ask me, I'm just glad that I have a SD on my laptop, I love being able to burn DVDs wherever I go...

F

[Eug]

By the way, a desktop burner is MUCH thicker than the entire PowerBook!

[- - e r i k - -]

Well you're both right. But Steve said that these laptops would have 2x drives, not 1x ones

[TheBum]

Originally posted by - - e r i k - -:
Well you're both right. But Steve said that these laptops would have 2x drives, not 1x ones

I don't recall Steve ever saying such a thing. AFAIK, the only reference to 2x burning was on the web site and it was only there for about the first week.

[cambro]

Yeah, and the HARD DRIVE on the eMac is rediculously, no, astonomically faster than on the PB too.

What the heck is that??? The low end DESKTOP has a faster hard disk AND optical drive. HOLY CRAP!!! I want my money back. My Ghz 15" SUCKS.



Sorry....I didn't mean to make fun...Ijust thought it was kinda funny comparing the speed of desktop drives to a portable drives. Everyone has already said it...1" thick, a battery, and no always-on fan. Seems pretty clear to me. That said, faster DVD burning would definitely be nice.

[AssassyN]

It's been said before, the 17" PBs SuperDrive is only 1x for heat reasons and the fact that it's about the only notebook that can burn a DVD on battery power, which is something Apple prides itself in.

[dettociao]

Originally posted by euchomai:
The emac won't fit into a 17" leather case though. That, my friend is where the price is!

LOL!

[wallinbl]

Originally posted by AssassyN:
It's been said before, the 17" PBs SuperDrive is only 1x for heat reasons and the fact that it's about the only notebook that can burn a DVD on battery power, which is something Apple prides itself in.

Sony sells laptops that do this.

[dettociao]

Originally posted by wallinbl:
Sony sells laptops that do this.

Really? I thought they had to be plugged in to burn DVDs. Linkage?

[wallinbl]

Originally posted by dettociao:
Really? I thought they had to be plugged in to burn DVDs. Linkage?

Why would they need to be plugged in?

[dettociao]

Originally posted by wallinbl:
Why would they need to be plugged in?

That was what the original sony dvd-r laptops needed. Check the specs, I could definetly be wrong.

[Superchicken]

I was actually thinking about this recently... kinda funny that the cheap-o eMacs would prolly best a 17 inch PB in bench marks Or at least keep pace