ATAPI devices on a Mac

[Xesh]

A friend has a Mac :disgust: & wants a DVD-ROM drive. Will any ATAPI plug-'n'-play drive work? Are special drivers required? I know very little about Macs.

 

[Sundog]

I am not positive, but I think you will have to get a SCSI DVD-ROM.

ATAPI will not work.

 

[gsaldivar]

Apple DVD-ROM drives are ATAPI and not SCSI.

You will need a drive which is supported by MacOS, or that is supported by a third-party driver software like this one.

Additionally, you will want to get a drive which is compatible with the built-in driver embedded in ROM. This will allow you to boot from the drive, if needed.

Here is where to begin researching drives that meet both of these criteria. Here is a searchable database which will allow you to look up specific drive models to see if they are Mac-compatible.

Now, with all this being said, my recommendation is that you contact a local Apple repair place and simply order the drive as a replacement part. You will get guaranteed compatibility this way.

Good luck!

 

[Sundog]

<< Apple DVD-ROM drives are ATAPI and not SCSI. >>


Wow--thanks for the info! I have not done anything with macs in a long time and had incorrectly thought they were all SCSI.
Hmmm..... Thanks again!

 

[Workin']

Newer Macs can use ATAPI, older ones use SCSI only. Which model does your friend have?

<< my recommendation is that you contact a local Apple repair place and simply order the drive as a replacement part. You will get guaranteed compatibility this way. >>

And a guaranteed empty wallet!

 

[Xesh]

He has a new one with IDE channels. I just need to know if the software will support it. Are there any particular models from which he needs to choose?

 

[gsaldivar]

Oops! You're right Workin - I thought I read that his friend had a G4 but I was mistaken!

You will need to make sure the computer is capable of using the drive - G3 or G4 will surely use ATAPI, anything older than that - forget about it

"...Are there any particular models from which he needs to choose?..."

That's why I took the time to look up those links for you - did you read them yet? They tell you all you need to know - what models to look for etc.

Yes, of course the drive is more expensive if you purchase it from Apple - this is one of few the cases, however, when I would definitely recommend paying more for a non-third-party upgrade on a Mac.

Good luck!

 

[Xesh]

thanks a million, salvidar, it looks like the model i was looking at is fairly popular in the database, and it seems to work okay.