Compatible DVD-RW Drives - Power Mac G4 Quicksilver 733MHz

Greetings!

I too have a QS733. Of course it's barely recognizable now--got a DP800 amongst other upgrades--the DVD drive I have is a pioneer dvr-112-d. Go to eBay--click stores--type in "all mac" search by store name. These people sell it and throw in a copy of panther too boot. It's a DL burner which is nice. If had mine for three years and it never burnt a coaster. I'd give you a link but I'm typing from my iPhone!!

Best of luck!

Krypto

For the least problematic and most compatible brand DVD±RW drive for use in Macs, I'd recommend a Pioneer drive, like this one. You can use other brands (like NEC, Samsung, or LG), but bootability can be iffy from one brand to another. Some of the major names (like Sony) sell rebranded drives, so you never know what product you'll get from one model to another, even with the same "name" on it. You don't need to restrict your search to Mac dealers, because your G4 uses the same DVD±RW drive as PCs. A Mac dealer may include (third-party) Mac burning software, which the drives marketed for PCs won't include. As for a floppy drive, you'll have to settle for an external USB version. Unlike their PC counterparts, older Apple FDDs had a single ribbon cable that conveyed data and power. There isn't any means to connect one of these to the standard interfaces found in the B&W G3s and newer Macs. With the cost of USB flash drives now less than $10/GB, why do you want to install a FDD in your G4? Is it intended for temporary use, until you've copied the contents of older disks to another medium?

Its a Dual Proccessor 800 G4. Ebay baby--ebay!

I have a couple of Lite-On CD-RW drives in some older Macs and interestingly enough, they are identified as supported for Apple Disk Burning, in the System Profiler. I can't remember if I ever attempted to boot from them, by holding down the C key at startup. That's where the real headache can occur. I had a Memorex (manufactured by LG) DVD±RW drive in a B&W G3, and it would always eject the OS disk when attempting to boot from it (holding down the C key). The solution was to immediately close the tray and then it would load and boot from it. That procedure was a nuisance, so I pulled it and installed a Pioneer burner. The Lite-On drive may respond to booting from the OS disk, but you won't know until you try it. On the other hand, the Pioneer drive will definitely boot the G4.

The plastic bezel can be removed by pressing on the narrow release tab just inside the computer's chassis, next to the drive carrier. As you press on it to clear the catch, push it outward, away from the front of the computer. After the right side of the bezel swings out far enough, you can unhook the left side of it. There was a Zip bezel designed for the Quicksilver G4s, if you want a more finished appearance. You may have to get it from an Apple service provider - or check eBay.

This Sonnet PCI card comes to mind - mainly because they specialize in Mac hardware.

The drivers are available for download from Sonnet for 10.3 and earlier. They are included in Mac OS X 10.4 and later.

Why no mention of usb sticks? Screw the drives, both floppy and zip. I just bought a 4GB stick for 15 USD. The Quicksilver profile shows two USB ports, albeit USB1.1. My wife is a musician and has all kinds of USB sticks. They're more ubiquitous than tooth picks around here.

Island Boy 🙂
(Ireland, Scotland, and England(Wales))

As Jeff says, you can get the proper slotted Zip bezel on eBay; I just got a handful, and they weren't too dear. The mount tab is hard to find at first, but stick your finger in behind the bezel inside the case and feel around ....it's there. The bezel doesn't come with the relieved spot below the slot that shews you the flashing eject button, though; that wen't out with the Digital Audio. You're supposed to highlight the icon and push the "eject" command from the drop down "File' menu, or drag the Zip icon to the trash. (If you have to, of course, you can open the case, remove the bezel, and push the 'eject' button the old-fashioned way. Works every time!)

I should have thought that you would have chosen the 250 Zip just because of size; it works well, and reads the 100 Zip discs, which isn't true of the late and unlamented 750 Zip discs.

Glad to see at least one other chap still uses Zips; we're a vanishing breed.

Regards ... jws