[BWSchultz]

Hello,

So I bought a new DVR-108 drive for my G5 and I'm really loving the speed improvements over the initial Superdrive (the Sony UA10, I think). But I still have the Sony and I wouldn't mind hooking it up to the G5 as well for an external second drive, which I thought the G5 should have had room for internally since the case is enormous. What do I need to do this?

Thanks!

bws

[AC Rempt]

A 5.25 external case. Just head over to any of the major online vendors and snoop around. There are all sorts of cases that will work.

And I just ordered a 109 for my G5. It's nice to know there's a good speed difference.

[BWSchultz]

I can't remember what the difference between the 108 and 109 were but from what I've seen so far, 108 is about 3 times faster at ripping CDs/DVDs than the Sony. Which is really nice.

I haven't tested the burning speed yet because I only had 4x media lying around. But now I have 8x so I should see considerable improvement in burn speeds, too.

Ok, I looked up a few enclosures on new egg. I think I may just go with the least expensive model. I'll probably check a couple local stores for any sales first.

Thanks!

[ChrisB]

Be careful if you get impatient and want to go to a place like CompUSA - they have a neat enclosure right now that is Firewire, and it has LED lights on it, but it's not grounded properly and it sends a buzz through the Firewire bus and out your audio jacks. Not all enclosures are made the same. It's worth spending the money - make sure it's grounded properly.

[BWSchultz]

Well, if there was a buzz coming through the audio, I would certainly take it back and get a different one. There's no way to tell from the outside of a box if something is grounded properly. Do you know which model this was that I should avoid?

[ThisGuy]

does the increased spin noise annoy you at all?

[ChrisB]

They only had one available - grey shiny metal plates, multicolored lights all around the case.

[mad cow disease]

Stay away from places like CompUSSR. They have horrible service, a horrible return policy and most of the stuff they sell is a.) overpriced, b.) complete crap.

NewEgg has over thirty firewire enclosures you can choose from. Google for reviews of some of the better ones and you should be set.

[BWSchultz]

Yeah I have a CompUSA and a Fry's within a couple miles of where I live. I have ordered several times from newegg, as well. While the local stores are typically overpriced, I did get my Pioneer 108 from Fry's for cheaper than anywhere on the net so I can't complain.

It's worth a look at least.

Oh, I don't know if this was directed at me or not, but the 108 is generally less noisy than the Sony SuperDrive. Occasionally, when it really spins up, it's a little loud, but I don't mind. And then, I appreciate the speed more than I hate the noise. I did a few tests and it's capable of ripping a full 7.9 GB in about 16 minutes. However... sometimes, the DVD doesn't allow that speed and it takes about 55 minutes (maybe the type of disc? I'm not sure), which is how long the Sony Drive took originally. But it's nice to know the capability is there.

Also, maybe my old drive was just well, old, but the new drive seems to be reading DVD's much more cleanly. I used to have to put the DVD in the Sony drive several times before it would recognize it and mount it. I would take it out, clean it, and put it back. Eject, close, eject, close. Everything I've tried so far has mounted in the Pioneer, which is great.

[AC Rempt]

I finally ordered this enclosure today:

http://www.newegg.com/app/SearchProd...ult.asp?DEPA=1

The retail box. I have a Macally 3.5 enclosure of the same design, and it's a solid case.

Fun fact that partially explains why I am an Apple customer: I orginally intended to swap out my old "SuperDrive" for the 109, but I could only find it in beige, so now it has to go in an external enclosure because I don't want a beige drive tray sticking out of my G5. Sad but true.

Oh well.

[BWSchultz]

The 108 I just bought has the black tray. Cool, I guess, for the 8 seconds I see each day.