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not_too_shabby · Dec 6, 2003, 11:44 AM

I just received my new iBook G4 with the MCE superdrive preinstalled. So far I'm not too impressed. Although iDVD works, which is the main reason I ordered the superdrive, I cannot burn CD's or DVD's from the finder.

I contacted MCE about this and they said panter has a problem with finder burning and third party drives. The said to burn through the disk utility program. So I created a new disk image sized for a DVD and copied my old iMacs hard drive to it. I then went to burn it, and everything appeared to be fine. But the new DVD won't mount on either the ibook or my eMac(w/ combo drive) running jaguar.

Any ideas what might be wrong?

si_lance · Dec 7, 2003, 02:21 PM

I know you don't want to hear this, but for DVD work you should have gotten a Powerbook... perhaps you can find someone to buy your iBook and move up.

fisherKing · Dec 7, 2003, 03:16 PM

Originally posted by si_lance:
I know you don't want to hear this, but for DVD work you should have gotten a Powerbook... perhaps you can find someone to buy your iBook and move up.

talk to mce, what do they recommend?
have you tried using toast??

si_lance · Dec 8, 2003, 12:36 AM

I thought one of the reasons one would buy a mac is the fact that it simply works IF you use the internal hardware that Apple provides. While there are very very good external optical drives, they just aren't as seemless as the one that Apple provides internally and that is fact. MCE will eventually provide a patch, but perhaps I should have clarified that if you wanted seemless integration from the beginning (and double the cache with faster memory bus) get the Powerbook.

not_too_shabby · Dec 8, 2003, 01:40 PM

Originally posted by si_lance:

I thought one of the reasons one would buy a mac is the fact that it simply works IF you use the internal hardware that Apple provides. While there are very very good external optical drives, they just aren't as seemless as the one that Apple provides internally and that is fact. MCE will eventually provide a patch, but perhaps I should have clarified that if you wanted seemless integration from the beginning (and double the cache with faster memory bus) get the Powerbook.

Well, when I called and asked them about the internal superdrive upgrade option the guy acted like it would work with everything. He wasn't entirely helpful and said bottom line, it's bootable. Well, I thought I would take a chance since it's about $400 cheaper than ordering a powerbook with the superdrive. It sounds like finder burning won't work with any non-apple drives until an upgrade comes out, although most did work with jaguar. I called mce and they said to use the disk utility which didn't work for me, and after burning two dvd-r coasters, I guess I'll wait till and upgrade comes out.

si_lance · Dec 8, 2003, 01:45 PM

not_too_shabby,
Did they give a warning about Panther? If not, you should have them update their website with a warning so this doesn't happen to anyone else. I'm just sorry you had to find out the hard way. Take care.

fisherKing · Dec 8, 2003, 03:09 PM

try using toast, or go to versiontracker, there are other butning options...

i'm gonna do the mce thing in january; it's worth it to pursue this & get it all working!

not_too_shabby · Dec 8, 2003, 03:40 PM

Originally posted by fisherKing:
try using toast, or go to versiontracker, there are other butning options...

i'm gonna do the mce thing in january; it's worth it to pursue this & get it all working!

No, MCE didn't have any warnings about panther.

I will try toast when I get it. According to MCE's website it was supposed to come with toast, but it didn't. I had to call them to remind them that it was supposed to be included with my order.

I should get it soon hopefully.

DaBeav · Dec 8, 2003, 07:37 PM

Seeing how the iBook G4s only ship with Panther, they should have done more careful testing.

fisherKing · Dec 8, 2003, 07:53 PM

Originally posted by not_too_shabby:
No, MCE didn't have any warnings about panther.

I will try toast when I get it. According to MCE's website it was supposed to come with toast, but it didn't. I had to call them to remind them that it was supposed to be included with my order. I should get it soon hopefully.

take a look at versiontracker, there are some shareware apps u can try until u get toast!

get burning, once all this works u should be pretty happy.

Eug · Dec 8, 2003, 08:49 PM

Which drive do you have? (It's in the Apple system profiler.)

Perhaps if it's the same drive you can flash it with cynikal's firmware. Dunno if it would work, but if you're willing to risk the drive then it may be worth a shot.

No guarantees though.

not_too_shabby · Dec 9, 2003, 09:13 AM

The drive is a MATSHITA DVD-RAM UJ-815A.

fanboy · Dec 10, 2003, 12:19 AM

I was really considering getting the MCE drive, but now I think I've talked myself out of it. Two pretty big detractors I see from doing it:

1. Having to get patches every OS update that may or may not come

2. No internal bluetooth option if you order from MCE

Now of course you could buy your iBook from Apple and then send it to MCE, but that costs $300 US. The PB is only $100 more than that, and the better features it has are well worth that increase in price. Now I just have to come up with the 2 grand!

Not so bold prediction for MW: 12 in PB goes to 1.25ghz, further distancing it from iB 12in.