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Posted By: Zach (24.249.152.11)
Date: Monday, 6 November 2006, at 9:02 a.m.

In Response To: A recent voyage into the land of Apple compatibility... *PIC* (J242)

I usually find pretty good deals at OWC (www.macsales.com). The downside is it needs to be shipped to you. But, they have a $60 FW/USB 2.0 enclosure + DVR-109AB for $33. A little more than what you paid and not quite as fast, but it's got the FW. Or they have the same combination as a bundle with some media and software for $100. Or with the DVR-111 for $125.

Anyways, just plugging OWC pretty much. Sounds like you got a good deal though.

: So, recently I found myself in need of a DVD burner in order to finish a
: project for a local client of mine. I was looking around online at the
: various big retailers to see what listed OSX compatibility. I wasn't too
: suprised when I was able to find very little available listed as
: compatible and what was listed was too expensive for my budget.
: I figured that most likely they don't list OSX compatibility but I could
: safely assume that the majority would be compatible and the compatibility
: listings were only for the bundled software and thankfully I was right on
: my first purchase! More on that later though... So, after a couple of
: meetings and scrambled, fruitless attempts to search for decently priced
: retail models on XLR8yourmac I decided to just go in to one of the large
: national chains and take a look.
: I came across a very sparsely stocked wall'o'drives and out of the 3
: externals they had in stock there was one little gem on the shelf and I
: had to triple -check the price because I flat out couldn't believe it. It
: was the Sony DRX-830U and for only $79.99! Of course, there was no
: mention of OSX and their net kiosks there in the department were locked
: down so after 15 minutes of talking with the "geek squad", their
: tech department AND their business sales department I said screw it and
: just took it to the register. I figured if it worked, no problem, if not,
: I caould return it and try again and it was so cheap, I'd be kicking
: myself for not giving it a chance. I DON'T like that it's only USB 2.0 I
: prefer to have Firewire only external hardware with secondary FW
: pass-through ports becauase I can then daisy-chain my devices
: strategically and not have to completely re-engineer my cable layout every
: time I want to charge my iPod or connect my freakin' camera but Oh Well...

: So, the moment of truth arrives and I have the sucker plugged in to my mini
: with my project itching to be pressed to DVD and I turn it on for the
: first time. I give it a minute while I'm staring at the system profiler
: icon giving in to the inevitability that I'm either (and most likely)
: going to have really kicked myself in the ass and have to go out in the
: rain, back to the store and try all over again then go through this entire
: episode repeatedly (all the while my deadline is creeping up on me) and
: worrying that I'll have to push back for more time on the project due to
: hardware issues all the while hoping with baited breath that somehow the
: Sony will be picked up and all my worry will have been for naught (yeah,
: right, how often does that happen?!). So with one set of fingers crossed
: and my breath held I launch the system profiler and the moment is further
: delayed as I have to select USB! ARRRGGGGG! But then I see that there is
: "USB High-Speed Bus" and under it "DRX-830-U"! Could
: it be? Is it working automatically? So I scrambled to open up Toast
: Platinum and YES! It's available in the recorder options! Woo-Hoo!
: Sucess!!!

: Now, I'm happy as a clam that I have a dirt-cheap external DVD SUPERDRIVE
: burner that is rediculously fast, dual layer and handles every format I've
: ever heard of outside of HD and Blu-Ray but WTF? Why is it that we have to
: go through this crap as Apple customers? When is Apple going to get off
: their keisters and publish an easily accessed list of supported hardware
: upgrades? My first attempt to find one was at their on-line store but
: Apple doesn't have any external DVD burners there and in their retail
: stores all they carry are LaCies for twice the cost and half the
: performance. You would think that there would be someone in a retail
: position out there who could convince their tech department to start
: keeping track of what works and what doesn't so that their sales-staff can
: be better informed and by extension, so can their customers but maybe I'm
: asking too much? Eh, anyways, I have a kick-ass DVD burner now that I paid
: less than a bill for and it worked magically. It's fast, silent and looks
: nice to boot! If anyone else is in the market for an external addition
: like this, I HIGHLY recommend the Sony! Also, @ BestBuy is where it's so
: cheap. I don't know about any other retailer who might be also carrying it
: in store (CompUSA, Radio Shack, Circuit City) but I was pleasantly
: suprised to find it cheaper in-store versus online so good stuff all
: around. :)

Messages In This Thread

• A recent voyage into the land of Apple compatibility... *PIC*
  J242 (71.231.203.254) -- Monday, 6 November 2006, at 8:12 a.m.
  • OWC
    Zach (24.249.152.11) -- Monday, 6 November 2006, at 9:02 a.m.
  • Re: A recent voyage into the land of Apple compatibility...
    Lord Crosis (209.193.22.233) -- Monday, 6 November 2006, at 2:56 p.m.
    • Re: A recent voyage into the land of Apple compatibility...
      J242 (71.231.203.254) -- Tuesday, 7 November 2006, at 11:55 a.m.

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