Hi,
If anybody has one of these drives that they dont use due to them having a better one in a G4 or G5 for instance, could they please contact me to tell me how much they want for it. I will include the cd drive (as new) with bezel as a part-exchange so you wont be left with a big hole in your iBook!
Give me an offer!
Thanks
Oliver
just look on pricewatch for a compatible supported combo drive. There are a number of Toshiba and Matsushita drives that are cheap and fully compatible.
A lot of other sites out there that have compatible drives for not very expensive... then you get a warranty or RMA option as well.
http://www.directron.com/sdr2512.html
http://www.dvcentury.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=66-16-2506&Category_Code=CDRWDVDCOMBO
Ho do you know if it is compatible or not. Is there a name for the plug?
Oli
Thanks NaturGirl!!! I tried a dvd player out of a half-built toshiba laptop and it worked!!! I have to superglue the bezel on though!
you don't need to superglue it if you removed it properly... the bezels are interchangable. They just snap in place. I have swapped bezels on numerous drives.
iBooks used a number of different drives, most not sharing same bezel mount points. naturgirl, can you offer some specifics?
dan k
I just keep it safe by swapping Toshiba drives with Toshiba drives... within a brand, the bezels ARE indeed fully swappable. I have NEVER had a bezel not fit perfectly.
I have a Toshiba superdrive in my iBook now... but it also formerly had a Toshiba combo drive.
Just look up the part numbers that Apple actually used, that is the easiest way to find a compatible drive. That is what I did for the first few swaps. Some examples: Toshiba SD-R2212, SD-R2112, SD-R2102, SD-R2002, etc.
http://www.dvcentury.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=66-16-2506&Category_Code=CDRWDVDCOMBO
I suspect with this line the SD-R2312 and SD-R2512 may work as well:
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=27-130-023&depa=0
Apple doesn't make their own drives, and the companies who sell them to Apple sell the exact same bare drives to resellers... who then sell them for MUCH less than apple or apple resellers do.
Just do your research. Combo drives that work in iBooks will also work in the older tray-load imacs... and for slot-load iMac, they can use the same drives as powerbooks... and vice-versa. I just put a $12 Panasonic/Matsushita slot-load drive into an old iMac and it worked fine.
Ahh, the old stay-within-one-brand-and-drive-series-and-the-bezels-still-fit trick!
Hmm, my problem is the low-end CD drives I wish to upgrade (frequently one of the CR-17x series) never seem to have higher end siblings with which they share bezel mount points.
I've been assembling a page focusing on optical upgrade info for post-EBM Apple portables:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/macdan/opti_upgrades.html
I still haven't got any bezel compatibility infos up yet, but that's coming as I gather more details.
In the meantime, I'd be mighty grateful for additional reports listing specific 'Book model, original and upgrade drive mechanisms, and noting bezel compatibility. If anyone can add their own experience(s), email me: macdan at comcast dot net.
Thanks!
dan k
I have never had a problem switching bezells before. For instance, apple sells ONE bezel for every optical drive they have. Be it CDROM, CDRW, Combo, or Super Drives. All the same bezel, all different makers. It just pops on and off, it isnt rocket science...
Yeah, Stuka is right. I looked it up and Apple sells one bezel for all white tray-load iBooks. It is like $5 for repair places and resellers to order. Sorry to break it to you guys, you must just be breaking the tabs when you remove them or something.
Slim/laptop tray-load drives use a standard bezel-type.
Wow, y'all have had a completely different experience with slim drives than have I. Every maker's drive I've seen has different and incompatible face mount points. I've only the pair of dual USB iBooks, but they both have CD-ROMs (500 w/ CR-177D and 700 opaque w/LG CRN-8245B), neither of which share bezels with the higher end drives I've used.
I've also had some considerable experience with tray-load opticals as used in 'Books from 3400 to Pismo EBMs and there's little there either in the way of a standard face mount.
Perhaps my experience differs because I've been using all sorts of opticals as replacements/upgrades, not just those mechanism models supplied by Apple as OEM/original drives.
I'm not in any way challenging what y'all are saying, I'm just interested in why our experiences diverge so much.
dan k
iBook (Dual USB):
Optical Drive
CD-ROM 661-2529
DVD-ROM 661-2530
CD-RW 661-2531
Combo 661-2532
Bezel
CD-ROM 922-4583
DVD-ROM 922-4584
CD-RW 922-4639
Combo 922-4586
iBook (Late 2001):
Optical Drive
CD-ROM 661-2529
DVD-ROM 661-2530
CD-RW 661-2531
Combo, TOS 661-2532
Combo, SON 661-2580
Bezel
CD-ROM 922-4583
DVD-ROM 922-4584
CD-RW 922-4639
Combo 922-4640
iBook (16 VRAM):
Optical Drive
CD-ROM 661-2667
Combo 661-2668
Bezel
CD-ROM 922-4583
Combo 922-4754
Combo, TOS 922-5161
CD-ROM LGE 922-5162
iBook (Opaque 16 VRAM and 32 VRAM):
Optical Drive Assembly w/Bezel
CD-ROM 661-1775 (Good)
Combo 661-1776 (Better)
Bezel
Combo, SON 922-4754 (Better)
Combo, TOS 922-5161 (Better)
CD-ROM, LGE 922-5432 (Good)
Combo, TOS 922-5433 (Good)
Combo, SON 922-5434 (Good)
iBook (800 MHz and 900 MHz 32 VRAM):
Optical Drive Assembly w/Bezel
CD-ROM 661-2863
Combo 661-2890
Bezel
CD-ROM, LGE 922-5432
the following slotloaders not relevant to bezel discussion, but figured I'd include 'em anyway!
iBook G4 12"
Optical Drive,
CW-8123 Combo 661-3183
CD-ROM 661-2984
CW-8122 Combo 661-2960
iBook G4 (Early 2004):
Optical Drive,
SuperDrive 661-3256
CD-ROM 661-3257
Combo 661-3255
me thinks y'all wuz just plain lucky er sumpin'!
dan k
Those are the Apple part numbers... not the actual manufacturer's part number. If you actually took those drives out and looked at them you would see the part numbers I wrote written on them. Even look in the system profiler on yours or anyone else's iBook... it will have the actual manufacturer's part info... not the Apple part number.
GRRRRRRRR This is so stupid. I am not going to argue with you anymore.
I PROMISE you that Apple uses other companies' drives. All those Toshiba drives that I mentioned ARE drives that were used in G3 iBooks.
You can doubt me and Stuka all you would like... but you're just making it harder and more expensive on yourself!!!!!!!
The point is that olikicksmacs (and many others!!) wants to upgrade his/her iBook's optical. olikicksmacs wants to install a new optical and not have a big, ikky hole, would rather have a nice factory bezel. naturgirl's contention that all slim opticals use some sort of standard faceplate mount doesn't square at all with my own extensive knowledge on this subject. IMNSHO olikicksmacs' old CD-ROM bezel will probably not fit a new drive.
naturgirl. you were lucky your original drive was a Toshiba and thus were able to transfer it to a new Toshiba drive. Not all of us are so lucky. Get it?
Grrrrrrrrr indeed!
I realize my listing all these PNs might seem a bit anal and argumentative. However, I've been putting together a page detailing iBook OEM drives with an eye toward upgrades. This PN list is just another resource I've culled as part of that effort:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/macdan/opti_upgrades.html
For more infos re: optical-upgrades-in-EBMs:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/macdan/ebms.html
Of course I know the numbers I quoted are Apple PNs and not the OEM's model designation. There are other drives out there besides the few with which you've played.
Surely y'all noticed those many different bezel PNs, each PN representing a different chunk of plastic. Does that mean anything? Does to me. By crossreferencing all this info, anyone should now be able to go to an Apple dealer and order a replacement bezel, one that fits both their iBook and their new optical upgrade. Cool, huh?!?
dan k
Um... no.
I worked at an apple repair/reseller store and we had ONE part number for ordering bezels... Just like the different G3 iBook batteries have different part numbers.. that doesn't mean that ever 12" iBook needs a different battery. ONE replacement battery works with all of them.
I'm leaving now.
http://www.applefritter.com/comment/reply/4327
dan k
Is there anywhere that I can buy a bare slot-load? Is there a manufacturer's part number that I can search for? Does it use a standard ide interface?
I'm wanting to put this with an in-dash car computer. The preferrence would be a dvd read/cd write combo, but just dvd read or dvd write would be acceptable.
JJ
Just read though the thread and wanted to know if you could enlighten me on a couple of points.
First, I am interested in replacing my current CD-ROM drive in my 800 MHZ iBook with a combo/superdrive. I looked at the combo drives you suggested and was wondering if you knew about any superdrives that would be compatible with my 800 MHZ iBook. I've seen a couple of sites saying that they can upgrade it to a superdrive, but it is very expensive.
Second, is there anyway to see/find/view the list of compatible optical drives that are supported in the Panther OS? I was told, by Apple Support, that the OS X is "preloaded" with a list of compatible drivers in the OS.
If you can't answer any of this can you tell me where I can find it?
Thanks in advance for your help,
Stevek767