Q: New internal superdrive for PPC G5 Quad?
Looking to replace the optical drive in my PPC G5 quad with a brand new one, out of an abundance of caution, after a very recent bout with kernel panics and double panics.
OWC has nothing for these computers "currently":
I'd appreciate any and all recommendations.
Thanks in advance.
PowerMac, Mac OS 9.2.x, Beige Minitower w/PowerLogic G4Upgr
Posted on Aug 15, 2014 6:35 PM
I'm glad you found a new drive and most importantly, MCE indicates "Bootable and Compatible with iDVD, iTunes, iPhoto, Finder Burning, DVD Studio Pro, and Apple DVD Player." Some third-party optical drives were not so Mac-friendly. I once installed a Memorex (made by LG) DVD±RW drive in a B&W G3. I'd put a bootable disk in the drive, restart and hold down the "C" key, and then listen to the drive speed up and slow down, speed up and slow down, and it would repeat this a few more times before giving up and ejecting the disk. If I immediately closed the tray the moment it ejected, the drive would boot from the disk. This was too much of a headache, so I pulled the drive and installed a 16x Pioneer DVD±RW drive. It made a big difference, booting correctly every time. I also had good luck with a Toshiba DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive in another B&W G3. When SATA optical drives starting replacing the ATAPI models sold in the usual electronics, computer, and office supply stores, I started buying the ATAPI drives (found on the clearance table). I've even found some good bare (no box) DVD burners at thrift stores. For the price (usually $10-$15), I've taken the gamble and only had one bad drive (surprisingly one in its original box). It was a Plextor DVD±RW drive that burns CDs and CD-RWs very quietly and accurately, but it will not recognize any DVD media - even movies. Those drives have a separate laser lens for DVDs and CDs, so there was obviously a problem with the "DVD" lens. That's why I recommended that you not buy a used drive at ebay, since a defective unit would involve return shipping expenses.
Posted on Aug 16, 2014 5:13 PM

