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tonbo0422 · Apr 8, 2003, 06:26 PM

I know that slot was meant for a Zip, but can I put a CD-RW in there? Do I need special mounting brackets etc?

Zoom · Apr 8, 2003, 08:45 PM

I'd love to know this, too, but I'm afraid the answer is "no". I looked into this briefly way back when and as I recall, the Zip drive bracket that's there is pretty firmly mounted. I was told it couldn't be done, but given a blowtorch and some C4 I'm sure you could open up the bay.

Seriously, though, I don't think there's a simple way to remove the Zip drive bracket and mount a standard size optical drive. That really pissed me off when I bought this machine. I assumed that bay was usable and it's just not.

I've even heard that the newer machines (MDD) won't easily take a standard optical drive, but that might not be true. I can't recall where I heard that.

tr · Apr 8, 2003, 08:49 PM

well, quick answer: sort of, if you want to do some heavy modding.

the bracket that holds the CD-ROM also holds the zip; it's a one piece bracket. you're going to have to do some metal cutting to get that CD/zip bracket to become a CD/CD bracket, or fab something up yourself.

do a search in the mac modification forum, this has been talked about before.

tr

tonbo0422 · Apr 8, 2003, 10:15 PM

Well, this was for a friend to whom I sold my 450. I bought a DVD drive to complement my CD-RW in the 733 and was MOST pissed off when I went to install it and saw this stupid Zip thing there. (Who the HELL uses Zip drives any more when you can burn a CD in 5 minutes?) I was going to sell him the CD-RW but now it looks like that won't be possible. Anyone wanna buy a CD-RW that won't fit in their G4?

Trust Apple to drop the ball again.

horrorbiz · Apr 8, 2003, 11:49 PM

how much? i need one for my b&w g3.. the stock one is tooo loud.

tonbo0422 · Apr 9, 2003, 12:30 PM

I was thinking in the neighborhood of $50 (including shipping.) I've actually never used it to burn a CD-RW (never saw much sense--they're so cheap, why re-use them?)

D'Espice · Apr 10, 2003, 07:02 AM

Originally posted by tonbo0422:
Well, this was for a friend to whom I sold my 450. I bought a DVD drive to complement my CD-RW in the 733 and was MOST pissed off when I went to install it and saw this stupid Zip thing there. (Who the HELL uses Zip drives any more when you can burn a CD in 5 minutes?) I was going to sell him the CD-RW but now it looks like that won't be possible. Anyone wanna buy a CD-RW that won't fit in their G4?

Trust Apple to drop the ball again.

You can still get an external Firewire case for that drive

dfiler · Apr 10, 2003, 12:39 PM

I took a dremel to my case and managed to squeeze a jazz drive into that spot. Five and a quarter inch drives would require some serious metal cutting!

tonbo0422 · Apr 10, 2003, 01:25 PM

Yes, external FireWire cases are selling for around $50 on eBay. That's a pretty good deal. Then I might be able to get $150 for it!

Dace · 03:48 PM

Next time get a LG combo drive (CD-R/RW/DVD - All in one), like I did on my G4 Sawtooth

And it has been done before, someone once had step by step instructions on their iTools website...it involved cutting.

tonbo0422 · Apr 10, 2003, 01:55 PM

Wow, dace, you're right around the corner from me.

Yes, LG (the Canadian computer manufacturer) has some good stuff.

tooki · Apr 10, 2003, 02:43 PM

You can't do that. If squeeze a CD drive into the space designed for the Zip, you'll run into the CPU. If you put it above the existing drive, you run into the RAM modules.

Get an external FireWire case instead.

tooki