Mac Discussion

I recently bought a DVR-710B5PK from Pioneer from Best Buy for $39. Seemed like a good deal and the respondents here on dealmac forum recommended it. Everything worked out okay with installation and I was all set, but then the draw couldn't open past the bezel/opening because the dimensions (where the drawer was located and the amount of space between the botton, top and drawer) were different from the oem combo drive in there and the DVD-ROM that is in the bay where I want to put the superdrive. I tried to get the top (oem) combo drive out so I could swap them (for some reason seems like there would be more clearance in the top than bottom (how can that be?) but it seems like the oem combo drive will not come out of the cage/drive bay.

Also, while working I made sure to discharge whatever static I might have but I left the machine plugged in when discharging and then unplugged both at the computer and at the wall. Then, when the dog went off (barking like some insane wild dog) at the dog from down the street who happened by, I had to come upstairs to stop her. I plugged the machine back in in order to discharge the static and then unplugged again (but is it necessary to plug in at the wall and at the computer to then unplug again or just touch metal, like the transformer)? What do you do in a case like that? Buy some static wrist bands? I was concerned that I shouldn't be pluggin in the machine while it is open and I should be concerned about errant static (what could that do and how quickly would it do it)? Is that a real issue?

Anyway, anyone want a Pioneer DVR-710B5PK? Cannot locate an Apple superdrive that is is not over $100. Don't know what other brand might work (actually thought the size and make-up was pretty universal). So, now after all that I put everything back and it still works (knock on wood) and it's back to the drawing board until I hear differently from someone who might be able to help.
Thanks

Almost forgot:

I have a 2003 PowerMac G4 with mirrored drive doors. It has 10.3.8 and 1.25 gigs of memory and is 1.25 gigs (speed). I am looking to add a superdrive internally because I have a LaCie d2 external firewire drive which is nice, but nowhere to put it on the desktop and I wanted to consolidate everything and internalize it if I can.

Thanks

The front lip of the drive tray comes off by sliding it up. Then it fits.

snap off the bezel from the drive's tray

Easy, peasy, japaneasy



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Uh, oh...I pulled the entire faceplate off but snapped it back on but one of the tabs broke off. This should not be a problem, because this will be flush against the fron of the drive bay. Does everyone have these problems? I've got a million of 'em.
As Rodney used to say: "It's not easy being me"...

Okay, so thanks to all for your help. I did manage to get my Pioneer installed but it does see flimsy without the lip or edge for the tray). Anyway, is there a way to assign a key to the superdrive (which was empty when I bought the Powermac G4). The key on the keyboard only opens and closes the combo drive that was oem when I got the machine.

Thanks again!

Okay, so thanks to all for your help. I did manage to get my Pioneer installed but it does see flimsy without the lip or edge for the tray). Anyway, is there a way to assign a key to the superdrive (which was empty when I bought the Powermac G4). The key on the keyboard only opens and closes the combo drive that was oem when I got the machine.

Thanks again!

Use Option-Eject to open the second drive.

Did it, but the bottom drive does not budge, until I click on the top (menu) arrow and click on Superdrive open or Superdrive close, but I wish the shortcut would work.

Are you using an Apple keyboard - one with the Eject key in the upper right corner above the numeric keypad?

And you're holding down the Option key while you press the Eject key?

It's the original, white keyboard that came with the G4 PowerMac tower but no the eject key works but just for the oem combo drive and the option key + eject ket elecits no response. Could this be because I had to snap off the edge of the drawer to make it fit or work with the MDD? It works when I click on Superdrive on the top menu, but only then.

Okay, the F12 + eject causes the top (combo drive; oem) to open and yes, a delayed reaction but the option + eject will open the superdrive in the lower drive bay.

Thanks.

F13-F15 also opens the upper oem drive.

WIth two drives installed in the MDD, you'll find that opening and closing either drive will not always be flawless.

I put the SuperDrive in my MDD's top bay as it seems to run a little hotter, and moved the combo down to the lower bay.

I wonder how your prefs are set up.

On my MDD (Tiger.7) F12 launches Dashboard (you're running Panther) but F13-15 don't open any drive. Is that normal, I wonder?

In theory, you leave the machine off, but with both ends of the power cord plugged in, and touch the metal chassis. The MDD chassis is grounded through the "third wire" or ground plug only when it's plugged into the AC socket.

Most of the time, just touching the metal chassis even when the AC is unplugged, is good enough.

But running around can generate a static charge, and it's a good idea to plug the cord in at both ends. I've never had a problem shocking some component. But it can't hurt to be careful. If you were handling RAM, you'd really want to be careful.

.


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My machine is running 10.3.8 and I don't know if it is normal for F12-F15 not to open any drive (eject and option does). Seems like in OS or earlier OS X (it's a dual boot) it did, and I could assign certain responsibilities to the F keys. I tried to remove the oem combo drive and it appeared like it would not come out. I did that because before I removed the lip of the drawer from the Pioneer superdrive there was not enough clearance for the drawer to open, so I took off the lip (actually ripped off the entire front before losing one tabe and putting it back on). I touched the transformer and the hard-drive cage when I came back from going up and down the stairs to quiet the dog while working on the thing.

I guess it would be worse if it was a dry day and cool. The fact that it is a humid hot day and stuffy in the basement probably keps static electricity down. I did start to finish what I was doing and then realized my oversight and then plugged in the cord at both ends to discharge any static. Now if you go away and come back, is it necessary to plug the plug in at both ends or just into the computer would work (to kind of re-set the whole process?)

Now if you go away and come back, is it necessary to plug the plug in at both ends or just into the computer would work (to kind of re-set the whole process?)

In a word, yes.

Some qualification is in order. When you go away, you run the risk of building up another static charge. The only way to be sure you properly disspate it is to plug the cable in at both ends. It doesn't really do much good (if any) to plug it in at only one end.

But- I've never been super cautious, and I've never lost a RAM module or other product.

Your mileage may vary.

.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
-An armed society is a polite society.
And hope is a lousy defense.

There is no safety for honest men
except by believing all possible evil
of evil men.

I *love* Sigs. It's Glocks I hate.

you could go into core services and click on the menu extras in the system/library/coreservices and find the eject.menu click on that if the eject button hasn't already shown up in your menu bar.

-x