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Subaru_Nation555 · Jan 2, 2007, 01:55 PM

My Mom is using an old 350MHz G3 iMac and I was thinking about getting her a CD burner. It seems like the cheapest external drive is $100 or more and I am unable to find any internal upgrades. Is there a way to connect an internal drive externally? I know that sounds absurd but they're so much cheaper and she doesn't need anything fancy. Thanks for any suggestions.

-Sacha

beetleboy · Jan 3, 2007, 12:15 AM

Check eBay for internal CD-RW drives for G3 iMacs

gooser · Jan 3, 2007, 12:34 AM

about 6 months ago i bought an external cd burner on ebay for $20.00. they are out there and cheap now that there isn't a lot of demand for cd burners anymore. however if you don't have firewire i'd go for an internal. wegenermedia has internal cd burner drives for $90.00. hmmmmmmmm, you can almost pick up another computer with a cd burner for about that price.

brokecollegestudentF04 · Jan 3, 2007, 12:38 AM

Is it a slot load or tray load iMac??

beetleboy · Jan 3, 2007, 02:24 AM

It's definitely a slot-loader. Tray-loaders never had CD writers.

gooser · Jan 3, 2007, 02:31 AM

Originally Posted by beetleboy

It's definitely a slot-loader. Tray-loaders never had CD writers.

i think the poster is looking to upgrade. how did you get a snow 700? i thought they only came in graphite.

brokecollegestudentF04 · Jan 3, 2007, 02:52 AM

Thats pretty simple really.. i have a ruby 600 that never came in 600.. i had a ruby 450 with a blown display so i changed the shells out.. not too difficult.. or you can just swap the logic boards

Also they made a 350 trayload and 2 variants of the 350 slot load.. the 350 slot load indigo models lacked an airport card slot

A slot load would be as simple as finding a CDRW from a dead 500 or 600 slot load.. a tray load would be more difficult

gooser · Jan 3, 2007, 03:10 AM

well now, could be simple for you, but then you pull these things apart in your sleep. so in theory you could have a ruby 700? interesting.

brokecollegestudentF04 · Jan 3, 2007, 03:23 AM

lol the shells arent that hard to change.. theres like 8 screws holding the whole thing on.. then its alot of popping tabs.. it comes right off easy.. I have a Ruby 600 right now.. a Blueberry 600 and a Lime 500 sitting here along with a Grape 700 which is my server

P · Jan 3, 2007, 07:54 AM

There are no tray load 350s. The only 350 is a slotloader, and it doesn't have Firewire. While it is theoretically possible to use USB 1.1 burners at very low speed, I do no recommend it - it isn't worth the money for that low speed.

Your best bet is to try to find a slotloading CD-RW burner from a later iMac as suggested earlier in the thread. You could also use a standard IDE slotloading burner if the slot fits with the iMac shell - get one with a chance to return it if it won't work. Please beware that installation of a burner in the iMac is tricky, but doable. There are installation instructions available online.

Subaru_Nation555 · Jan 3, 2007, 12:54 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be looking on eBay for some drives.

beetleboy · Jan 3, 2007, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by gooser

i think the poster is looking to upgrade. how did you get a snow 700? i thought they only came in graphite.

I got it on eBay back in 2004 as an extra computer in my classroom. Yeah, I think they came in Graphite and Snow. It's funny because the 700 SE was only produced for a short time. After which, the speed was bumped back to 600.

beetleboy · Jan 3, 2007, 02:58 PM

Originally Posted by gooser

i think the poster is looking to upgrade. how did you get a snow 700? i thought they only came in graphite.

I got it on eBay back in 2004 as an extra computer in my classroom. Yeah, I think they came in Graphite and Snow. It's funny because the 700 SE was only produced for a short time. After which, the speed was bumped back to 600.

Check this URL for more info on every Mac ever made

www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/10816

beetleboy · Jan 3, 2007, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by gooser

i think the poster is looking to upgrade. how did you get a snow 700? i thought they only came in graphite.

I got it on eBay back in 2004 as an extra computer in my classroom. Yeah, I think they came in Graphite and Snow. It's funny because the 700 SE was only produced for a short time. After which, the speed was bumped back to 600.

Check this URL for a program called Mactracker. It has info on every Mac ever made.

www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/10816

P · Jan 3, 2007, 07:01 PM

Originally Posted by Subaru_Nation555

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll be looking on eBay for some drives.

Don't pay too much - the iMac isn't worth all that much. In fact, while you're on eBay you might as well look for a replacement iMac with a CD-RW already installed. The G3s are fairly cheap these days.