Make Yourself A Cheap External DVD Writer

[Gavin]

Hi there,

As an experienced PC user/technician, I thought that owning a Mac Mini would be a difficult experience getting hardware at a reasonable prie to work with OSX.... This is far from the truth.

I think I have now been completely converted as I purchased a CHEAP external CD writer £39.99 which stated it was only PC Compatiable on the BOX (ARTEC EXTERNAL COMBO USB 2.0) with the intention of seeing if the Mac Mini could used the standard drive, and if it could, ripping the internal DVD burner from my PC and mounting it in the new external drive bay.

EVERYTHING WENT TO PLAN.

I now have an EXTERNAL DVD BURNER for the Mac made from a cheap external CDRW drive encolsure and the NEC ND-2510A.

In toast the setup displays the unit as _NEC DVD_RW ND-2510A - USB.


So advice for anyone out there wantting an External DVD burner for the Mac.... you can use a cheap ARTEC external drive and butcher it so that you can use a standard IDE/ATA internal burner.

I will post some pics shortly.

Hope this helps some of you newbie PC -> Mac converts.
Welcome tto the Party.

Gavin

[Gavin]

Here's a picture of the packaging... You'll be able to see which model it is and also that it came originally with a black drive.


Now we look at the unit fitted with my internal white NEC DVD writer takeen from my PC system


And finally My Mini Mac all setup to go:


My Mac Mini is a 1.25 GHz standard options.
I have added a D-Link DWL-122 USB wireless key (on top of monitor)
You'll need the VERY latest drivers for this to worrk with OSX.

1GHz of RAM is on it's way from FASTRAMGUY. So in the meantime I am using 512MB from a friend.

My Zip 100 USB works fine.
My HP PSC 750xi is working with no problems too.

So, if you are a PC reader doing some homework on moving to OSX and the Mac.... it can be done and at a VERY cheap price too!!!
Adding RAM doesn't void your warranty... or so Mac Format here in the UK say.

I hope this helps some of you.

Gav[/code]

[devo]

Cool! Is the drive fast?

[Gavin]

It appears to work as well as it did internally on the PeeCee.
USB2.0 speed is great... The NEC is 8x (+r,-r) DL etc etc...
The point here being that Tiger (and perhaps Panther) allows Mac users to use a cheap external optical drive... AND using the brand/model above lets you upgrade it!

I am simply over the moon regarding this.

For those in the UK, the external CDRW drive was purchased from a PC WORLD store. The link for online purchasing is:

http://www.pcworld.co.uk:80/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1399098522.1116010016@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccekaddeilfmmjkcflgceggdhhmdgmk.0&page=Product&sku=981109&category_oid=-15495&fm=2&sm=1&tm=undefined

This costs just £39.99 which is good here in the UK for an external drive.

PC WORLD also sell an empty enclosure at a STUPID price of £59.99 (less if purchased online:
http://www.pcworld.co.uk:80/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1399098522.1116010016@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccekaddeilfmmjkcflgceggdhhmdgmk.0&page=Product&sku=922493&category_oid=-15495&fm=2&sm=1&tm=undefined

Why o why?

[DoFa]

Most DVD burners will work with Macs. Now with Tiger, quite a few drives will be recognized natively as a Mac Superdrive which allows you to use all the iApps: iDVD, iMusic, Disc Burner, Finder etc.

If you have a brand that isn't recognized by your mac, apply patchburn and chances are your Mac will think you have an internal Superdrive:

http://www.patchburn.de/download.html

I have a NEC 16X dual layer burner in a USB case, works with iDVD, iTunes and finder and of course Toast and DragonBurn.

You can see it in this picture I took of my cramped little office: