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daneel · Sep 5, 2007, 04:17 AM

so far i love everything about my new imac (including the controversial glossy screen). but the only problem is the super drive in it.

it only mounts cds or dvds when it feels like it. its all hit and miss. if i want to watch a movie i have to put the disc in and pray.

and even when it mounts the disc, it takes a really long time.

is this a sfotware or hardware problem ? anyone know any fixes to it

Gee4orce · Sep 5, 2007, 04:27 AM

Sounds like hardware. Take it back to the AppleStore, and get a replacement. If it's a 2.8 GHz it must be a CTO, so you'll likely have to wait to receive a replacement, or I suppose you could opt to get it repaired (should just mean swapping out the drive, a quick job).

Don't just grin an bear it - you have a right to a fully working machine, in all regards. It's a shame, but these things do happen, and Apple are generally very good at making sure you're happy.

daneel · Sep 5, 2007, 05:05 AM

there's a big problem with taking it back to the apple store since i live around 8000 miles away from the nearest one. my uncle purchased the computer for me from the dallas store and then brought it back to india with him when he visited. so i was really praying it would be a software problem.

the only thing that seems to work right now is if i put the disc in and then restart the computer , then it mounts the disc.

i have an idea though - to really know if its software or hardware, i could boot into windows (boot camp) and try the disc. if windows mounts it, it has to be software.

also, i have an external dvd drive. although i am kinda sick of it and was hoping to get rid of it once i got the mac, i wouldnt mind using it if all else fails.

any other suggestions ?

Gee4orce · Sep 5, 2007, 06:09 AM

damn.

Maybe take it to a local computer shop and get them to have a look - though they probably wont even be able to work out how to open the case if they're not Apple Authorised.

You absolutely shouldn't have to restart to use a disk, and it's definitely not a software problem if it's a brand new machine - although there's an outside chance it's a general problem with the new iMacs. Check the Apple message boards to see if anyone else is reporting this.

daneel · Sep 5, 2007, 08:31 AM

the mac cost a LOT of money (80,000 indian rupees) and there is no way im letting some uncertified local store fella even try to open it up. although i might be able to ask a few of my british friends (they're mac obsessed. and i've seen one of em even replace the screen on his TiBook so he obviously knows what he is doing).

looks like its in a good mood again though - hasnt coughed out a disc in over 4 hours.

ive also hooked up the external just in case.

Gee4orce · Sep 5, 2007, 09:08 AM

Does Apple not have a repair centre in the whole of India ? Surely you could send it there ?

t.s.melliot · Sep 8, 2007, 02:09 PM

My wife purchased a 2.8Ghz 24" iMac within a week after their release. She was able to pick it up about a week ago and was very impressed with the machine. After about 5 days it refused to mount any discs (CD or DVD). It would accept the disc and would then spin it for 20 or 30 seconds before ejecting it. When we first spoke with the computer store, they said to bring it in so they could run a diagnostic on it to confirm the problem. Once they confirmed the problem they said they could call it DOA and get us a replacement. However, once we got there they did their best to convince us that it would be easiest for everyone involved if we just let them replace the drive. We left a little dissatisfied but my thought was that if this was an issue with the 2.8Ghz iMacs in general, whose to say that our replacement machine wouldn't do the same thing. Later that evening I realized my wife's frustration had not subsided so we talked about it and her point was that, when you buy a new machine you should get a new machine. Once a Tech outside of the factory opens the computer and replaces something it becomes a refurbished machine, which is ok if you payed a refurbished price. However, for $2200 she expected her brand new computer to last longer than a week before it needed service! We called the store and although they didn't seem terribly excited about it they didn't really give us any trouble when we asked to have it declared DOA but they did say that it would most likely be another couple weeks before we got our replacement. I'd like to thank daneel for helping to put it into perspective because a 10min drive to the store and a 2week wait is nothing compared to 8000 miles.

rubaiyat · Sep 8, 2007, 05:41 PM

Daneel it is a long term problem.

I have a 2.0Ghz G5 iMac and use 2 separate external CD and DVD FW burners.

I found the internal DVD drive to be slow and unreliable as you have. It also sometimes pops out the Cd or DVD and sends it flying across the floor.

I have stopped burning DVD backups internally as there were far too many failures also annoyingly sometimes inserted discs just fail to show up even after a considerable delay.

Do as I did, since you do not seem to have much choice, and use an external DVD/CD burner.

pheonixash · Sep 8, 2007, 06:35 PM

Which part of India are you in? There are lots of Authorised Apple Resellers now in all the major cities.

daneel · Sep 9, 2007, 03:34 AM

@pheonixnash. in Chennai. now any authorised service centers here ?

i know there are plenty of resellers. but they are little more than retail stores. they just stock and sell the product and wont be able to diagnose problems or anything of that sort.