[MannyP Design]

I thought I read somewhere that Apple's SuperDrive can actually use DVD-RW discs, but don't advertise it for some reason... is this true?

TIA!

 

[gordguide]

I use 'em all the time.

 

[(( p g ))]

Holy cow! I didn't know that. I assume that when you burn the disc that it's still being done as a DVD-R (i.e., one disc, one burn). Correct?

Thanks for the great tip!

 

[jb22]

I have an old magazine that has an ad for a Power Mac, the model before the MDD. Any way, that ad mentions the Superdrive and does mention it as a DVD-RW. I wonder why Apple doesn't advertise it as a DVD-RW any more?

 

[gordguide]

Whether a given drive can do -RW media is an issue with the hardware, not the SW. The laser needs to be able to handle the different dye layer/reflective qualities of RW media.

Recognising a CD/DVD as re-writeable is a relatively minor trick for SW or the OS. Once it can recongnise the disk as re-writeable, it uses exactly the same code already written and functional for write-once media.

 

[Neil Yates]

You'll need Toast Titanium to be able to Write and Erase them. W/o it, you can write, but cannot erase them.

 

[Pamela]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Neil Yates:
You'll need Toast Titanium to be able to Write and Erase them. W/o it, you can write, but cannot erase them.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

is toast titanium the best software for the mac? (ie, the equivalent of nero for pc's?)

 

[gordguide]

Just reformat it. It's erased, no Toast required.

And yes, Toast is the best SW for the Mac. The developer later released a Windows compatible version, it's called EasyCD Creator.

 

[Neil Yates]

Hmm, Interesting, but I find it a lengthy and drawn-out process to launch Disk Utility to erase it. I use Titanium anyways to prep and author data backups, so may as well erase it there. But thanks for the tip - good to know there's at least 2 ways to erase a DVD-RW disc.

 

[gordguide]

" ... Hmm, Interesting, but I find it a lengthy and drawn-out process to launch Disk Utility to erase it ...".

Sure, if you have Toast, why bother. Save a little time.

If you don't, then spending an extra minute for 60 rewrites works out to paying yourself $90/hour (the money it would cost you to buy Toast, if you didn't know you could do it for free from the OS itself).

 

[ehMax]

Hey gordguide, for sure you can erase a DVD-RW with Disk Copy? Have always wanted to try but never got around to it.