CaddiMac: Is This The Future Design of Optical Drive Bay Doors?

drewprops

I went by the CompUSA yesterday and took a quick look at the new "CaddiMac" G4 tower. I call it that because of the decorative air-inlet ports....like adding fins or a spoiler to a car to make it look faster.



I was studying the drive bay doors and couldn't figure out how to open the lower door. I pushed the eject key on the keyboard and the top optical drive door opened up. (How are you supposed to make the lower door open?)



I'm curious, what other optical drive bay solutions could Apple offer for the next case design other than slot-loads?



Isn't it time for slot loaders on the pro line?



Do you think that's what'll be next?



D

squash

I'd guess the bottom didn't open because there was no drive in the second slot <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

jambo

[quote]Originally posted by drewprops:

<strong>

I was studying the drive bay doors and couldn't figure out how to open the lower door. I pushed the eject key on the keyboard and the top optical drive door opened up. (How are you supposed to make the lower door open?

Isn't it time for slot loaders on the pro line?

</strong><hr></blockquote>



AFAIK, it's cmd-power key.



J :cool:

reid

Actually, he's got a good point... If you do have two drives installed, will pressing the eject key just open both of them, or just one?



In OS X prior to 10.1.5, pressing the eject key on my keyboard would pop out the tray for the internal iBook DVD drive, and also for the USB CD burner attached. That was pretty annoying when I just wanted to pop in an audio CD or a DVD. When I updated to 10.1.5, the burner's tray stopped opening with the eject key - requiring a tap of the button on the face of the drive to open it.



But on these new G4's, since there's only one eject key, and no eject button on the face of the machine, the keyboard is probably going to open both at the same time. But, the drives are stacked, so you're going to have to maneuver around the upper tray any time you want to get something into the lower tray. That would be pretty annoying.



I just don't understand why we can't have a soft-eject button on the face of the drives. I've always wished Macs had a button on the front of the computer that would open the tray even if a disk was inside. Just like the keyboard eject key, it could trigger the OS to "put away" the disk. And, it would be more intuitive to "switchers." Certainly more intuitive than throwing the disk in the Trash - a practice I've never agreed with despite having used Macs since 1989.



(Edit / P.S. - there is no power key on the new keyboards!)



[ 08-20-2002: Message edited by: Reid ]</p>

mavster

read somewhere in the specs that option-eject will eject the second drive door with normal eject opening the first...

curiousuburb

[quote]Originally posted by Reid:

<strong>



I just don't understand why we can't have a soft-eject button on the face of the drives. I've always wished Macs had a button on the front of the computer that would open the tray even if a disk was inside. Just like the keyboard eject key, it could trigger the OS to "put away" the disk.



[ 08-20-2002: Message edited by: Reid ]</strong><hr></blockquote>



all mac drives have an eject button so unobtrusive it takes a paper clip in a wee hole to find them.



now for elegance you want to add a honkin external blister to this smooth skin?

pesi

[quote]Originally posted by drewprops:

<strong>

Isn't it time for slot loaders on the pro line?



Do you think that's what'll be next?



D</strong><hr></blockquote>

i hope we never ever see slot loading drives on desktops again. they're slower, more expensive, and can't handle non standard size media.



[ 08-20-2002: Message edited by: pesi ]</p>

mozillaman

[quote]Originally posted by curiousuburb:

<strong>

now for elegance you want to add a honkin external blister to this smooth skin?</strong><hr></blockquote>



There is a difference between design elegance and interface elegance...



As an example, the "big red switch" IBMs: the power switch wasn't that nice to look at, but you sure as hell knew how to turn the thing on. And that's what mattered. (though I had a habit of turning it off every chance I got... )

serrano

slot loaders on the pro machines?



<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />

matsu

Thank you serrano. Slot loaders are just a solution looking for a problem, at best. Tray loaders are superior in every respect. The only application which needs a slot load is an in-dash CD player for your car.



Even on a portable the tray loader is a better option.

drewprops

Yeah, sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I have a stack of smaller discs and didn't even think about how those would be handled. I suppose pro machines will always have a tray then, for as long as optical discs are used.



D

michael grey

<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />

...suspects drewprops' real reason for starting this thread was to give us YA name for the new tower...

drewprops

Man am I so ever BUSTED



grinning ear to ear,

let me say it one more time:



CADDI-MAC!!!!!!!!





Drew

(but I did wonder about the drive bay doors)

socrates

Actually I worry with my powerbook that I'm gonna snap off the CD tray. It looks really flimsy when it's out, it would only have to slip off my lap as I'm fumbling for a CD and bam, 400$ repair fee. I wonder if slot-loading drives couldn't be redesigned to take different sizes of media, much like vending machines can take different coin sizes.



That wouldn't be such an issue for desktops of course, but slot drives do appeal aesthetically. Need a damn eject button though. No need for a blister, just a sensor that pops the disk when you touch the drive door/panel.



Sadly, Apple don't usually go in for this kind of innovation, as standard components are a lot cheaper than making your own.

pusherman

With the mess of junk and different styles on the front of that machine, would two buttons really destroy the aesthetic?

jeremiah rich

Many car systems DO accept discs of both sizes. My friends Alpine handles them very nicely without any problem. But, on a computer, I would much prefer a "normal" tray drive. Slot loading in theory, but I would rather have the actual size and expandibility. (Well, there we go, I switched to talking about Powerbooks lol)

drewprops

Removable bezels takes care of expandability issues, so if slot-loaders CAN accept smaller discs then maybe the idea isn't totally daft. Those specially shaped CDs might be a problem though....like the business-card shaped ones.....that might not work.



D