PowerCD
Submitted by Tom Owad on January 22, 2004 - 1:30pm
The Apple PowerCD was introduced in 1993 by the Apple's Mac Like Things group. It could act as a stand alone music CD player, a SCSI CD-ROM drive, or a Kodak PhotoCD drive. PhotoCD's never caught on, but with the PowerCD's portability and battery power it became popular as a CD-ROM drive for Powerbooks.
Like all of Apple's products of the time, the quality is superb. The drive has a very substantial feel (i.e. it's heavy) and the display is even backlit.
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Comments
More PowerCD info
--The PowerCD was manufactured by Philips, and is simply a rebadged Philips product.
--Maximum data read speed is 1x.
--Originally shipped with an infrared remote control.
Power supply
Can someone post specs for the power supply? I have a PowerCD without a supply and i'm itching to use it.
Power CD power supply
I have just joined the site and was looking for information on the Power CD that I acquired today from a charity shop. I have not connected it as yet but it appears to be in perfect physical conditon so I hope it will work.
The power supply is identified as a Power CD AC adapter model HOO37. Specs are: INPUT AC 120V 60HZ 22W. Output: DC 10V, 1.0A . The center of the plug is positive [+].
Hope this helps.
topaz
I want one
Seriousily, i want one! Call me crazy, but i've got a thing for old apple stuff. :coolmac:
EDIT: ok, as much as i would love to have one of these, i am not in a position to be buying one right now as my place is kinda overflowing with misc. Mac stuff. I appreaciate people PMing me to tell me that they've got one for sale, but i reallyy cant right now, i've gotta start clearing out some of my old stuff. Thanks tho.
PowerCd questions
First, where can I find more information on this? Would this work with a powerbook 5300cs? I see that the spec stated the speed was 1X, I guess this means any cd burn'd at 4x won't work? The question I really have is, that can I use to install like OS 8.1 from cd using this, or is there a better substitute for a cd drive that would work great with a powerbook 5300cs?
4x
CDs burned at 4x will work. The 1x refers to the speed at which it reads the disk. You can write a disk at 4x then put it in a 1x CD-ROM and it will be read, at 1x. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue if CDs burned at speed Y could only be read at speed Y. Nothing would ever work!
I got a PowerCD w/ remote sev
I got a PowerCD w/ remote several months ago. I tested it with a PB1xx power adapter and it seems to work fine. I've probably played a dozen CDs in it w/ the PB adapter and it seems fine.
Correction
jackwhispers writes:
There is a correction to make to the site's entry about the PowerCD.
NEC made the PowerCD (OEM) for Apple NOT Philips
There WAS an identical remote released for a Philips Magnavox Home Stereo and for an NEC Tower Computer
Universal remotes programmed to Magnavox CD players can control the PowerCD
Some Paladin Prototypes had a dock built in for this unit.
The Philips CDF 100 and The Kodak PCD 880 to which you are referring to are similar were STILL made by NEC. Engineers from several companies formed an Apple group called MLT to come with unique Apple designs ... their only other fruit was The Apple design speakers.
The only real similarity between the Philips Unit, Kodak Unit and Apple Unit was form factor and even that varied enough not to remain completely the same.
I have all three of these units.
Correction......
jackwhispers has indicated he has a Kodak PCD880 and I need some information about them as I just got one. Does anyone know if he/she is still around after all these years? I'd really like to ask him some questions about the Kodak and Philips units.
Thanks
Robert Faust