Hmm, it would be an interesting alternative however it appears to work only for the mba, and not any other mac notebook line, sadly. I have successfully hacked my mba superdrive to work with other macs and pcs. The sleek, compact usb superdrive compatible with the following computers. If youre looking to burn dvds and cds, then you need a mac superdrive.
It does show as being loaded into the usb port when i go into system profiler, though. Will apple usb superdrive works on pc or only with a mac. It gives you the ability to play and burn both cds and dvds. Macbook air superdrive can only be used with macbook air posted by dr.
First, take a look at pictures of this mod and a video. An external optical drive by apple, essentially a rebranding of the macbook air superdrive. Why is the apple usb superdrive only compatible with the. Hacker fixes macbook air superdrive to work with any computer. It will work with a usb hub, you can use other usb devices at the same time and have some spare usb ports.
The apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are designed exclusively for use with mac computers that do not have a builtin optical drive. Get the best deals on macbook superdrive and find everything youll need to improve your home office setup at. Hacker fixes macbook air superdrive to work with any. The macbook air superdrive is designed to work only with the air artificially perhaps, but thats not the issue, and the airs usb port is designed to provide power in excess of 500ma to the superdrive. This hack is not for the faint of heart, but the result is a great looking portable superdrive read how tnkgrl made it work.
Right click on the boot camp zip file in your downloads folder and click. I have this question too 57 i have this question too me too 57 me too. Using macbook air superdrive with a windo apple community. Make sure that the aluminum enclosure of the superdrive is facing up. Connects via usb, plays and burns both cds and dvds.
The new boot camp brings support for apple keyboard, mouse and trackpad, thunderbolt, usb apple superdrive, builtin sdxc or sd card slot, usbc and usb 3. The apple usb superdrive is an optical dvd reader and recorder that connects to an apple mac via a usb port. Macbook air superdrive hacked posted on february 20, 2019 by admin this is a macbook air superdrive that was hacked so that it may be used on other computers other then the air. Tnkgrl, do you have a set of these with verbal instructions. Why did apple bother to lock out pcs and even other macs. To use your superdrive, connect it to a usba port on your mac, then insert a disc. Get answers to your questions in our photography forums. I have continue reading macbook air superdrive for all. Theres no separate power adapter, and it works whether your mac is plugged in or running on battery power. Now ive just put a dvd into it to watch a movie and it got stuck into the superdrive. It is possible to change the ide to usb bridge read article at 2nd link below. Apple support discussions disc stuck into superdrive and wont i have just bought a mba.
Dec 06, 2009 this is a macbook air superdrive that was hacked so that it may be used on other computers other then the air edit. The mba superdrive is designed to work only with the apple macbook air. It is slim and portable and is powered by usb so there is no bulky power adapter to carry with you. Mar 20, 2020 apples supercomputer imac as well as portable laptop series macbook, macbook pro, and macbook air, imac pro comes with a fast speed processor, enough storage hard drive capacity, and fresh color finish.
Its the fast, easy way to put up drywall and steel and put down subfloor. Shift into superdrive with grabbers superdrive auto screw system. The apple usb superdrive is designed exclusively for use with mac computers that do not have a builtin optical drive. Im pretty sure the literature talks about this but be sure to plug the superdrive into your computers usb drive directly and not into a usb hub. This is a macbook air superdrive that was hacked so that it may be used on other computers other then the air edit. Macbook air superdrive super hack makes it work with any. Say goodbye to internal superdrives with the latest. A savvy user named tnkgrl has remedied the compatibility issue and, along the way, discovered how apple pulled off the aironly drive. Macbook air superdrive hacked for other macs, pcs jun.
I managed to install windows ans other software through the superdrive. It connects to your macbook pro with retina display, macbook air, imac or mac mini with a single usb typea cable thats built into the superdrive. Compact and convenient, the apple usb superdrive connects to your imac, macbook pro with retina display, macbook air or mac mini with a single usb cable. Internal cd and dvd drive edit once the use of floppy disks started declining, apple reused the trademark to refer to the optical drives built into its macintosh models, which could read and write both dvds and cds. Though a bit heftier, the mce is a muchbetter deal. Macbook air superdrive jammed and will not eject so shake. Jun 24, 2008 tech macbook air superdrive modified for use with any machine ever wanted to use a macbook air superdrive with another machine. The last apple mac to ship with an optical cd or dvd drive was a in macbook pro, originally released in june 2012, but on sale until october 2016, when apple discontinued that model, more. Jun 24, 2008 tnkgrl goes on to explain that there is a handshake requirement between the ide bridge in the superdrive that requires replacing the bridge with the above part requiring removal of the daughterboard allowing the drive to work with any usb equipped computer, mac or pc.
It identifies via usb as apple macbook air superdrive. Uploaded on 2242017, downloaded 6967 times, receiving a 97100 rating by 3340 users. Wherein i present unboxing pictures slide show of my special ordered apple macbook air 11. As tnkgrl mentions at the outset of this hack, the macbook air. Apple superdrive usb device driver for windows 7 32 bit, windows 7 64 bit, windows 10, 8, xp. You dont have to worry about lost cables with the apple usb superdrive. Incidently, when they first came out a few years ago, the superdrives worked for a very short time with macbook pros. If the drive inside the external enclosure is the same, its a great deal. It lets you install software and play and burn both cds and dvds, including doublelayer dvds.
I just got one of the superdrives as a replacementupgrade for an ibook g4 combodrive that my 2yearold grandson somehow managed to wreck, and then discovered that the superdrive wont run on the g4. Jun 24, 2008 if youve got a macbook air superdrive and youve been hankering to use it with other computers mac or pc, tnkgrl over at tnkgrl mobile has a solution. Jan 21, 2009 i think this is the case because theres a hack that lets you run the superdrive from any mac or windows machine, it involves replacing a bit of the usb board within the superdrive enclosure but doesnt touch the drive itself. But its entirely plausible that if another usb device asks for 500ma but attempts to draw more, it will succeed anyway. Mar 20, 2020 5 best apple superdrive alternatives in 2020. The apple usb superdrive adds dvda readwrite capability to the macbook air superdrive repertoire, but remains mechanically the same.
But superdrive does not always work with windows pc right away however, and sometimes the apple superdrive either doesnt function as expected, wont accept a disc, or is not properly recognized in windows, whether running natively on pc, or a mac through boot camp, or a virtual machine either whatever the scenario, if youre trying to use an apple superdrive with windows and its. If youve got a macbook air superdrive and youve been hankering to use it with other computers mac or pc, tnkgrl over at tnkgrl mobile has a solution. Now you can use usb hub with this superdrive on macbook air. Apple s been phasing out optical drives in its macs since it introduced the macbook air in 2008. First, take a look at pictures of this mod and a video where i connect my hacked superdrive to my mac mini and my hp mininote running windows xp. But with that out of the picture i needed the mac mini to have its own dedicated drive.
The superdrive in my macbook core duo recently died. This article explains more indepth on why its only compatible with certain devices, and how to get around it. Apples external superdrive can work on older model macs. If anyone knows a way or has done it themselves, then i would love to know how. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only.
Ensure your apple usb superdrive is lying flat on a surface with the silver top facing upward and dont put apple external cd drive underneath anything heavy. Mac pro late 20 macbook, macbook air with retina display, and macbook pro models with. In the process, the company quietly put to bed the last remaining mac computers that include an internal superdrive. Macbook air superdrive jammed and will not eject so shake it. Plug in the superdrive directly to the computers usb port. How to use apple superdrive with windows computers. It connects to your macbook pro with retina display, macbook air, imac late 2012 and later, mac mini late 2009 and later, or mac pro late 20 with a single usb cable thats built into the superdrive. Place any internal bluray, dvd or cd drive into an owc external enclosure to. Hacker tnkgrl did, and she embarked on some hardware research to find out just what. The terms dvd multi, super allwrite and super multi are used to describe optical disc drives. Apple external superdrive for macbook air wont work on g4. Jan 31, 2012 this article explains more indepth on why its only compatible with certain devices, and how to get around it. Macbook pro superdrive optical drive 2009 2010 2011 a1278 a1286 a1297 tested.
At tuesdays ipad and mac event, apple refreshed the macbook pro with retina display with intels fourthgeneration haswell core processors and other enhancements. My new imac does not have a dvd drive, so you need an external if you use discs. So like me, you have a macbook air superdrive its affordable, its functional, its sexy. Its a small circuit board that allows an ide device like the optical drive within the mba superdrive to work as a usb device. These new sds are so thin that it is common for them to get out of alignment. Did you ever wonder what caused the macbook airs external superdrive to only play nice with the air itself. When i connect the superdrive and try to load a cd, it just doesnt accept it. The apple usb superdrive is compatible with mac models from 2008 and later that dont have a builtin optical drive. Usb superdrive to read or burn cds and dvds on mac computers that. Tnkgrl goes on to explain that there is a handshake requirement between the ide bridge in the superdrive that requires replacing the bridge with the above part requiring removal of the daughterboard allowing the drive to work with any usb equipped computer, mac or pc.
I have a powered belkin hub but the superdrive was simply awol when plugged into it. At this point, youll probably see it show up under this pc, but inserting a disk wont do anything and the disk probably wont even go in the whole way. The trick was to replace the cdtousb board, since that is what apple is using to limit the superdrive to the macbook air. Review and how to of versiontech usb external slot dvd vcd cd rw drive burner superdrive duration. No jams, less fatigue handles 3 eighths to 3 inch screws. The breakthrough hack by tnkgrl was done two years into the intel era, didnt read it through again to see if she tested it on a ppc mac. Apple superdrive external dvdrom drive compatibility with macs. Macbook, macbook air, and macbook pro models with usbc ports require a usbc to usb adapter sold separately to use apple usb superdrive. Since 1987, macmall has been supplying mac computers, mac software, ipods, ipad accessories and more apple brand products and consumer electronics to consumers, businesses and creative professionals. If youve got a macbook air superdrive and youve been hankering to use it with other computers mac or pc, tnkgrl over at tnkgrl mobile has. The drive makes no noise, and wont pull a disc no matter what. Apple may provide or recommend responses as a possible solution based on the information provided. Macbook air superdrive modified for use with any machine. Macbook pro with retina display, macbook air, imac late 2012 and later, mac.
For everything from steel framing and drywall to subfloor. Bluray up to 16x, dvd up to 24x, dvddl up to 16x, cdrw up to 48x readwrite burn speeds. Macbook air superdrive hacked for other macs, pcs jun 24. I cant figure out how to eject a disk from the superdrive. Hack the macbook air superdrive to be universal geek stuff. Heres an article by someone who did exactly what the op is talking about. For whatever reason the macbook air superdrive is ide internally and the used superdrive can be used for powerpc powerbooks or ibooks, that did not come with a superdrive probably imac g5, too, no mac minis, but probably macbook pro 17 till 2008.
Jun 07, 2017 reconnect the superdrive directly to the display when you no longer need to start the computer from the superdrive. What i have left is my ibook g4 and my pmg5 quad and i was hoping to be able to do so. Hacker tnkgrl did, and she embarked on some hardware research to find out just. Plug the superdrive into the usb port on the computer. We sell more applebranded products than any other direct apple reseller. Is there any way to make the apple usb superdrive work my ppc macs. Photos on the blog show the procedure for the hack. The last model to include one was the 2012 inch macbook pro apple sold until october 2016. What drive mechanism is inside the macbook air superdrive.
Macbook air superdrive for all so like me, you have a macbook air superdrive its affordable, its functional, its sexy. Macbook pro with retina display, macbook air, imac late 2012 and later, mac mini late 2009 and later mac pro late 20. How to connect the apple usb superdrive apple support. Use the apple external superdrive on almost any mac authored by. Apple ibook, powerbook superdrive macbook superdrive. Apple usb superdrive with attached usb typea connector cable. The portable it comes with a carrying case, slotloading drive connects via usb and can play and record cds and dvds, as well as play commercial bluray movies directly on the mac with the mac bluray player software. Find out which macs can use the apple usb superdrive and how to connect it. You will need a powered usb hub to use it with any mac other than macbook air. Macbook air superdrive can only be used with macbook air.
Note that he apple usb superdrive and macbook air superdrive are designed especially for use with mac computers that do not have a builtin optical drive. The external drive is not recognized and the cd is stuck in the external drive. Get help with the slotloading superdrive on your mac. It gives the apple mac a dvd recorder, which works in the same fashion to a mac with a dvd drive builtin. Apple builtinusb superdrive not working issues fixed. View profile view forum posts view blog entries view articles member since jan 22, 2010 location pacific northwest posts 8 rep power 0.
Use the apple external superdrive on almost any mac. As for the usb superbludrive, its better than apples superdrive. Well, thats what it states on the product page, but the question now is. Nov, 2018 to use your superdrive, connect it to a usba port on your mac, then insert a disc. Youll never have to worry about lost cables with the apple usb superdrive. If you just want the ability to burn cds, then you need an apple combo drive cd burner. Apple support discussions disc stuck into superdrive and wont does it sound like its trying to eject. The superdrive is not supported in mac os x, not even on the few old world rom machines that can officially run os x. Compatible with the driveless macbook air, as well as macbook pro retina, imac and mac mini. To connect your superdrive to a thunderbolt 3 usbc or usbc port on your mac, you can use one of these adapters. Macbook air with retina display macbook pro with retina display imac late 2012 and later. Swap macbook air superdrive into macbook apple ios os. Apple superdrive aurora mac bluray player software.