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MacBook Air's Superdrive needs special USB port

updated 10:30 am EST, Wed January 23, 2008

MacBook Air USB Details

The MacBook Air's special processor is not the only example of the ultraportable veering away from Intel's reference designs, Electronista has discovered. People familiar with the internal design of the system have explained that the external Superdrive DVD burner available for the notebook should only be recognized by the Air rather than any computer due to custom requirements from both the subnotebook and its peripheral.

While external optical drives have existed that rely on the USB port alone, the particular power demands of the Apple-made drive should prevent it being used elsewhere; the sole USB port has been boosted past its specifications to supply enough power to use the drive with just the data cable rather than a direct power connection, say contacts.

The computer's port should allow other optical drives; however, the design choice essentially limits the $99 add-on drive to the Air alone. No external AC power connector exists on the external burner to support systems that more closely follow Intel's official power requirements.

 
Previous Comments

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01/23, 11:03am reply

Haha, It keeps getting worse with that oversized iPod Companion!

Tosser

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2008

-1

USB is low power

01/23, 11:17am reply

USB spec max is 2.5 watts for device directly connected and only 2 watts going through a hub whereas Firewire gets up to 45 watts per port 6-pin. So yes USB has always been a very limiting factor for powering devices. I love firewire for self-powered portable HDDs.

JackWebb

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Aug 2007

0

Air Motel...

01/23, 11:40am reply

...once you check-in you can't check-out! A slimey silver trap for McVictims. Advertise your stupidity to the world with a MacBook Air!

Feathers

Forum Regular

Joined: Oct 1999

-2

Why no firewire again?

01/23, 12:05pm reply

Seriously now...

Rather than deviating from the USB spec, why couldn't they have found a way to include Firewire? Would the inclusion of Firewire really have added *that* much thickness to the Air?

Sigh..

Maybe v2 will have firewire included?

jwdsail

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2000

0

What next?

01/23, 12:06pm reply

It's not getting any better for the air - the special drive that you have to buy to use it wont work with anything else, and by implication, no bus-powered USB burners will work with the AIR either (I don't think there are any).

So you're stuck, buy Apple's wonky drive, or go without.

Clive

Mac Enthusiast

Joined: Jan 2001

0

RTFA

01/23, 12:18pm reply

The special drive is so you can use it with your MBA without external power. So either you buy this drive and get that feature or you buy a third-party drive that has external power. The only thing you can't do is use this drive with another computer. As if you needed to do that.

spullara

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: May 2004

+1

Read it again, Clive

01/23, 12:18pm reply

Other USB devices work with the air, no problem. A little extra juice won't hurt a thing.

syzygi

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2008

0

not unusual

01/23, 12:38pm reply

Take the Dell Latitude D400 series. The optical drive has a special "Dell Only" usb connector. It can only be used on a Dell system with the correct USB connection.

discotronic

Mac Elite

Joined: Oct 2003

+1

Might work in the Cube

01/23, 12:41pm reply

This is exactly the same as the Cube! In fact I wonder if this isn't the perfect companion to the cube as it probably has enough juice on the USB to push the burner (1.1 though).

I still think this is a great computer though despite the whining! I also have a cube that is still working great with 896M of ram and 120G of disk.

mjoecups

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Feb 2001

-1

discotronic is RIGHT!

01/23, 01:31pm reply

discotronic is RIGHT!

The Dell lightweight series (D400, D410 & D420) all use a proprietary cable that provides power & USB. It cannot be used on any other model (except maybe some other Dells). So Apple isnt breaking new ground. So, much ado about nothing!

young1

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2004

+1

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