A number of readers have written in confused about claims made about MCE‘s combo DVD/CDRW FireWire and expansion-bay drives in our Macworld hardware picks story. Here are more complete details on those drives.
A number of readers have written in confused about claims made about MCE‘s combo DVD/CDRW FireWire and expansion-bay drives in our Macworld hardware picks story. Here are more complete details on those drives.
First off, I made two factual errors: in a Macworld-induced stupor I said that MCE was displaying the expansion bay drive playing back Crouching Tiger at their booth. In fact, the demo employed a 2001 iBook and the external FireWire drive. We even have a picture of it in our photo gallery. I also misread an MCE flyer and claimed that a CD/DVD combo drive was available for the 1998 PowerBook G3 Series (Wall Street). While CDRW is available for Wall Street, combo drives are not. I apologize for this error.
However, anyone who thinks the combo drives themselves are a misprint, you’ll be happy to know they are not. Readers were apparently reading the specs for CDRW-only (not DVD combo) variations of the same portable FireWire and PowerBook expansion-bay drives. Remember, these are not shipping drives, which is why MCE has not yet updated their website. Here are the specs on the new drives, to clear up the confusion:
MCE Xcaret Pro Expansion Bay DVD/CDRW Combo drive: CD Write/Re-write 4X / DVD Read 6X / CD Read 24X (Does not write DVDs); part #DVRW2K44624 (PowerBook G3 Series 1999 or PowerBook 2000 aka Lombard and Pismo); does not support 1998 PowerBook G3 Series (Wall Street)
MCE Lucid 4x4x6x24x Portable FireWire DVD-CD-R/W Combo Drive” CD Write/Re-write 4X / DVD Read 4X / CD Read 24X (same write/read speeds as expansion bay drive); 15.8 oz, 5.6″w x 6.5″l x .86″h (142 mm x 166 mm x 22mm); part #: L44624; estimated price US $399
Both drives will be compatible with MacOS 8.6 – 9.1 and Mac OS X, and both come with Toast. (The expansion bay drive specifies Roxio Toast Lite.) Keep in mind these are specs for non-shipping drives and are subject to change. Thanks to those of you who wrote in, as well.
