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krux` · Oct 22, 2003, 08:23 PM

Im just wondering because within days ill be buying a new 15" PB and im wondering to go with the superdrive, i dont know how much ill use it when i might have access to another dvd burner.

toans · Oct 22, 2003, 08:45 PM

I've used mine 3 times in about 3 months, and it was in one session just to do some backups.

I never planned on getting one, my sister went down to the apple store to get my PB and the salesperson convinced her to chuck in the superdrive lol.

I wouldn't get one again...but it depends what you do. If i had a video camera and a family or something maybe I would use it a lot more...

EvanV · Oct 22, 2003, 09:02 PM

I don't think I would use my PowerBook Superdrive all that much since I have two 4x DVD+R recorders on my Dell Desktops.... Plus now I need to get DVD-R and the recording is 2x slower

h00ligan · Oct 22, 2003, 09:04 PM

i have had my pb about 8 months, i have burned about 15 dvd with it.

although i use it for some nefarious activity :o

for the 200 i think it is worth it.

Sarc · Oct 22, 2003, 09:11 PM

I don't currently own one.
My father has one in his TiBook.
So far I have used it one. In one session I backed up about 15Gigs.

My next mac ... a 12in PBG4, will definitely have a SuperDrive.

EvanV · Oct 22, 2003, 09:23 PM

Well just for reference, since you don't have another DVD burner.... I have burned about 75 DVD's in the past 3 months between 2 computers that have them....

If you don't have one already, I don't see a reason why not to get one. I am still wondering why I got one with my 15'' AL

xylon · Oct 22, 2003, 10:21 PM

I actually have never used my DVD burner now that I think about it. I've never really had a need, but I realize that I should start backing up some of my files...it'd be death if I lost them all. So, I guess my response is 0 burns but going up soon.

Cop Rock · Oct 22, 2003, 11:06 PM

I've been using mine plenty to play with iDVD and make backups. Definitely worth it for me.

NYCFarmboy · Oct 22, 2003, 11:49 PM

I use my superdrive on my dual 1.42 tower all the time. I've burned about 50 DVD's for family and friends of various family movies, and making copies of various movies.

I've made about 100 commercial DVD's of a simple iMovie project that is used as a promotional tool by a company I do graphics for.

So.... for me..yes..I use it all the time... and can't imagine buying a computer without a DVD burner in it ever again.

But thats me..I do a lot of video/photography work.

If you don't do photography/video work I don't think it would be very useful at all.

DVD Plaza · Oct 23, 2003, 12:22 AM

I purchased a pack of 50 DVD-Rs when I got my 17" early in the year. I finally used my SuperDrive for the first time only a few weeks ago - ironic...

For DVD-Rs that is - I burn a lot of CD-Rs.

Eug Wanker · Oct 23, 2003, 12:47 AM

I've probably burned only around 30 DVDs or so on this PowerBook, but I will never buy a laptop again without a DVD burner. But of course, I'm biased.

Daniel Bayer · Oct 23, 2003, 12:54 AM

I burn a few a month...DVD's too

Seriously though, I am a photographer, I shoot film and dit and plow through tons of files that need to be archived.

I would never get one without it!

filmmaker2002 · Oct 23, 2003, 12:57 AM

I use mine several times a week.

Luca Rescigno · Oct 23, 2003, 03:01 AM

I use an external hard drive for backups. It's 80 GB and it cost a little over $100. That's enough for backing up my entire internal hard drive to my external. A better deal, if you ask me.

I'd get a Superdrive if it was only, say, $50 more expensive than a Combo drive. But for $200 more I'll stay with the Combo, thank you very much.

nobitacu · Oct 23, 2003, 03:10 AM

I use mine all the time to either make movies, music cds or backing up my data. I don't think I would be able to go on without one.

Ming

alfric · Oct 23, 2003, 03:39 AM

What use is a superdrive for backing up data when

a) it's only 4.2 gigs (compared to an external HD)
b) you can't use rewritable media (ie you get stuck with a pile of expensive coasters everytime your data needs to be backed up)

seems like unless you're into serious movie editing, Combo is best
plus if you buy an external DVD-burner, you can use it on your next computer... or sell it later

(yes I know, no iDVD for non-superdrive macs... :< )

Originally posted by nobitacu:
I use mine all the time to either make movies, music cds or backing up my data. I don't think I would be able to go on without one.

Ming

Cellery · Oct 23, 2003, 03:40 AM

I've used mine twice with the free DVD-Rs in the PowerBook box. Pretty neat, but slow burning made backups a chore. I picked up a FireWire HDD and have never burned a DVD since then. iDVD is a neat program too, but the rendering and burning just took too long. For me, the $200 would have been better spent on a RAM upgrade or a bump to the 5400 RPM HDD.

phantomo · Oct 23, 2003, 03:40 AM

Hi, first post for me.

I got my PB 12" 10 days ago and I have tried iDVD with photos and movies. Amazing results! I am going burn all my old and future holidays' collection to DVD. It is just simple to do.

I considered an external DVD recordable drive but it wouldn't support iDVD. So I think you have to ask yourself why you need (want) it.

Good day.

P.S. anybody found out how to make this SuperDrive Region free yet?

Link · Oct 23, 2003, 04:44 AM

when I need it, the superdrive comes in amazingly handy.

4.7gb in 20 minutes, not bad if I do say so myself. It would take MUCH more trouble to make 5 CDs in that same amount of time (though not impossible by any means)

Otherwise I prefer to use my ipod

Fillman · Oct 23, 2003, 05:14 AM

The Superdrive is there when I need it. Since I've had the 12" PB in February I've burned maybe 10 DVDs and lots of CDs. I needed each one at the time.

Plus I like the Windoze user comments "You've got a DVD burner in there?" Their looks are worth the upgrade price!

1zero · Oct 23, 2003, 06:15 AM

Originally posted by alfric:
What use is a superdrive for backing up data when
b) you can't use rewritable media (ie you get stuck with a pile of expensive coasters everytime your data needs to be backed up)

I've been using DVD-RW for a while on my iMac and now my 15" Al PB without a problem.

ligux · Oct 23, 2003, 07:49 AM

If I were you I would think in buying an external one, so it fails you don�t lose your PB, and there is not such a big diferrence in price.
Though mine is in a 867 desktop, from 2 years ago, I think That I might have burnt not more than 20 DVD�s since then. Not worth for what I paid then.

Eug · Oct 23, 2003, 03:10 PM

What use is a superdrive for backing up data when

a) it's only 4.2 gigs (compared to an external HD)
b) you can't use rewritable media (ie you get stuck with a pile of expensive coasters everytime your data needs to be backed up)

a) 4.3, and how many people need to back up 100 GB of data at a time?
b) I use DVD-RW on my TiBook, with a firmware update. All current PowerBooks with SuperDrives support DVD-RW. No firmware update needed.

If I were you I would think in buying an external one, so it fails you don�t lose your PB, and there is not such a big diferrence in price.
Though mine is in a 867 desktop, from 2 years ago, I think That I might have burnt not more than 20 DVD�s since then. Not worth for what I paid then.

As I mentioned in the other thread, iDVD does not work with external DVD burners.

And if your PB SuperDrive fails, you can just replace it. What do you do if your external SuperDrive fails? Same thing, just replace it.

Saleo · Oct 23, 2003, 04:14 PM

Is there software out there that will allow you to make menus for your DVD's and stuff?
I have a few things I wouldn't mind plopping on a DVD but I'd like to make some animated menu's to go along with them.

baglunch · Oct 23, 2003, 04:31 PM

i use mine several times a week because i do a lot of video work. I haven't actually used it for data storage yet.

CyberPet · Oct 23, 2003, 08:35 PM

I have burnt about 50-60 DVD's since I got the machine. I often burn DVD's to customers with large graphics jobs that goes to the printers. Easier than upload 1 GB of files to their ftp server. It's also great for extra backups (I'm a worry wart after loosing 2 years worth of files thanks to dumb network admins - having backups on two different networks they did manage to lose all the files anyway *grrr*).

fat mac moron · Oct 23, 2003, 09:12 PM

I've used mine about 8 or 10 times... Made 4 DVDs from it, mostly I use it to archive data. I couldn't live without it, especially since I flashed my ROM to do DVD-RW's.

legacyb4 · Oct 23, 2003, 09:16 PM

In the three weeks I've had my 12", I think I've burned close to 30 DVDs; a lot of photo data on CD-R compiled onto a single disc, some movie backups, converting a Region 2 (Japanese) WRC DVD that I own which playing on my PB would require switching the region back and forth if I wanted to continue to play Region 1 (US) DVDs, and duping my brother's wedding DVD for my dad.

Is it worth the extra $200 or so? Without question, yes...

All I need to do now is get a DVD-RW for large Home directory backups that I don't need to keep more than a single copy of.

Cheers.

cybernezumi · Oct 23, 2003, 11:44 PM

I used it a little before I upgraded the firmware on my drive to 2x -- its become a lot more useful since then and I've been archiving lots of shows I've pulled off my ReplayTV. I've also got quite a few old video tapes I plan on capturing and putting on DVD (and regain a lot of space). I've occasionally used it for data, but I generally backup to firewire drive.