Attn: MAC Users

[KnowTheToe]

My mom has an IMAC (first or second Generation, she does not know which, nor does she know which operating system). Anyway she needs a external CD-Burner. I know nothing about MACs. What can I buy her?

 

[Dimwhit]

That's a tough one. She's probably on OS9, and being first generation, you'd be looking at a USB 1.0 drive. That will most likely limit you to a 4x. On the bright side, it should be fairly cheap. I'm having a hard time finding an external USB cdrw. There are a lot of firewire (1394) drives, though. You should check to see if she has that, though I suspect she doesn't, since that's an older computer. About all I found was http://shop1.outpost.com/product/3517694 but it's expensive and overkill. You might try eBay to find a 4x external USB drive.

Sorry I'm not much help. Mabe someone else can find something better online.

 

[Tsyr]

That's a tough one. She's probably on OS9, and being first generation, you'd be looking at a USB 1.0 drive. That will most likely limit you to a 4x. On the bright side, it should be fairly cheap. I'm having a hard time finding an external USB cdrw. There are a lot of firewire (1394) drives, though. You should check to see if she has that, though I suspect she doesn't, since that's an older computer. About all I found was http://shop1.outpost.com/product/3517694 but it's expensive and overkill. You might try eBay to find a 4x external USB drive.

Sorry I'm not much help. Mabe someone else can find something better online.

Not a mac person, so I don't know how well macs handle hardware detection, nor how driver dependent they are, but pricewatch.com has a number of 4x USB burners for sale... But they are sold as windows models... as to getting them to work on a mac, I couldn't say, but generaly USB stuff isn't too horrible getting it to work on other platforms... if you can find software/drivers.

 

[RC Hagy]

Only USB?
Or is there firewire?


Hagy
Vermont

 

[KnowTheToe]

Only USB.

 

[Dimwhit]

I'm almost positive the older iMacs did not have firewire.

 

[Aeolius]

It depends on the iMac model. The iMac DV had firewire, the bondi blue did not. At any rate, MacMall has a selection of external USB CD-ROM drives in the $115-$135 range.

 

[RC Hagy]

Ok... Usb...

OtherWorldComputing


OrangeMicro

As Aeolius mentioned - MacMall.com. It is good, I have actually used them.
Try and stick with hardware that says it works with a mac or PC/Mac (so you can borrow it sometimes).

Ask some specific questions if you need to... otherwise I will just ramble and give twice as much info then needed. Concise means I need the questions (big failing of mine)... Like where to find the OS version and stuff.


There may be more qualified people than me though... I'm pretty much a casual computer user in general. Can get things to work and know what I know... 'bout it though.


Hagy
Vermont