[CUBE] What type / part number SuperDrive is installed in the PowerBook?

[Thubten Kunga]

Found it. I asked about this December 7th on AppleInsider and found 
this out from someone somewhere but I can't attribute the source. It 
must have been some else on this list. The link takes you to a Japanese 
page with photographs of it.

The DVD-R mechanism in the 1 GHz PowerBook is made by 
Matsushita/Panasonic. The part number is allegedly Matshita DVD-R 
UJ-815. You can see a picture of the drive mechanism at 
http://www.zdnet.co.jp/news/0210/03/nj00_pdvd.html. This mechanism is 
actually DVD-Multi, meaning that it can write to DVD-RAM as well as 
DVD-R and DVD-RW media. From what I've heard, however, support for the 
mechanisms DVD-RAM and DVD-RW capability does not currently exist in OS 
9 or OS X.

Slot load SuperDrives are a new form factor that may have not reached 
the OEM market yet. I don't know who makes them yet. Anyone else on the 
list know the maker of the PowerBook slotload SuperDrives? Jenn's got a 
great idea. Until her post, I hadn't even thought it could be done. But 
now that she mentions it, why not? Just a matter of tracking down a RAW 
source and finding it on PriceWatch.com. On the downside, the ones used 
in the PowerBook are only 1x while the Pioneer DVR-105 tray loads are 
4x. On the upside, 4x media is very expensive so far while 1x media is 
dirt cheap. So it's a time/money tradeoff to burn DVDs fast (costly) or 
slow (cheap). But getting a Slotload DVR inside our Cubes would finally 
allow us access to iDVD 3. That would be worth slow burns which are a 
lot faster than no burns. Of course we also have to worry about a 
slotload SuperDrive having a slot that matches the Cube's fixed slot 
position. Or we'll be running our Cube's outside the box just like 
Jenn's thinking!

On Thursday, January 9, 2003, at 09:15  AM, Robert W. Bumala wrote:

> Anyone have a clue what is the OEM Part Number / Manufacturer for the 
> SuperDrive installed in the PowerBook?
> Thanks,
> Bob.