Apple may be thinking about this, but come on. A regular CD is not that much bigger than a mini cd after you package it, most apple products wont fit on a mini dvd to start with. They would save more money by dumping the box and going to a skinny flat fold over cardboard holder. Plus an adapter is not something apple does. It isn't an elegant solution. And a mini disk format would cause havoc with older machines. The last thing apple needs is people walking in with broken laptop drives under warranty because they shoved a mini disk in without an adapter and the mini disk is an apple product.
If Apple was really concerned about size they would swtch to USB thumb drives, or to downloads, allowing people to bring in laptops or USB drives to download from a server in the store for speed should they with to.
Hell in bulk 2 gig USB key chains are what 8 bucks
Apple could keep truckloads in stock and then
Software package $100.00
and you get a sheet of paper for the license, and download at home.
or
Software package $100.00
Key Chain $10.00
The apple store employee burns the key and hands it over
Apple may be thinking about this, but come on. A regular CD is not that much bigger than a mini cd after you package it, most apple products wont fit on a mini dvd to start with.
Hell in bulk 2 gig USB key chains are what 8 bucks
Apple could keep truckloads in stock and then
Software package $100.00
and you get a sheet of paper for the license, and download at home.
Even 2GB is way too small for most of Apple's software. And 2GB can be a lot to download on some forms of broadband. $8 is a lot compared to a pressed DVD, which might be less than $0.25 US in bulk, and store twice as much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by solipsism
If Apple was going use a flash based installer instead of DVDs I think they would have a FW-400 plug on them.
I don't think there's much to gain now, and an unnecessary added expense for a flash or ROM device that would only get rarely used.
Oh, you mean the format that couldn't put a production writer on the market for over a year past its introduction and is still limited to 1x writing on dual layer media, while its rival has nearly the same capacity on one layer, is at 4x and climbing and already has 8cm recordable media available?
You Blu-Ray guys always have to get a word in, don't you?
While I have no opinion about Apple saving cash on their shipping costs, I do have a problem. I am the proud owner of a Macbook Pro and I love it, however, my camcorder records on mini dvds. I need some type of adapter/converter to edit my mini dvds in my mac. Can anyone point me in the right direction to purchase something like this. I've looked in Best Buy and Radio Shack, but no luck so far. Hopefully someone out there who's been at this longer than me knows the direction I should go. Thanks.
While I have no opinion about Apple saving cash on their shipping costs, I do have a problem. I am the proud owner of a Macbook Pro and I love it, however, my camcorder records on mini dvds. I need some type of adapter/converter to edit my mini dvds in my mac. Can anyone point me in the right direction to purchase something like this. I've looked in Best Buy and Radio Shack, but no luck so far. Hopefully someone out there who's been at this longer than me knows the direction I should go. Thanks.
An external DVD drive that uses a normal tray-loading drive should have no problem with the mini DVDs.
I have two adapters identical to the one pictured from Philips. They work great for CD singles. Yet while I use them in my home stereo I have never actually used one in my PowerBook. Simply because I'm afraid it could break the drive.
Those adapters, while holding the CD single reasonably firmly, are still clunky and the adapter and CD single can rotate at different speeds. I.e. since the CD single is perfectly round there is nothing to lock it in place to prevent it from rotating inside the adapter. Recent superdrives spin the discs really fast and I am not sure whether at 50+ times the speed of an ordinary audio CD player that adapter will still hold the disc in place - afterall these adapters have been designed for audio CDs and the speeds these usually spin at. If the CD single dislodges at 50+ speeds - say good-bye to your CD and drive!
I would use the adapter if I'm desperate, but I'd rather not risk this on a regular basis with a lot of discs.
It would be much better if Apple starts using slot loading drives that can also accept CD singles (they do exist).
Even though I have such adapters, if I were in your place and plan on using small CDs on a very regular basis, I would get a cheap external drive that accepts them - just for peace of mind.
Seems to me that CDs are already small enough. Why would we want to complicate things for the user for the sake of saving a few pennies? I think this is kind of a silly move.
So people would think cool, buy it, and then realise they couldn't even import music or Rip DVD's. Then they'd have to buy them on iTunes.
Seriously though, having a small drive in the Air, if we had that besides having none that would be cool.
I owned a Wii, and what I found really amazing was that "without any adapter" or tool you could stick both regular and small size CD's into the device. And it's SLOT LOADING, which makes it even more amazing!
Wii games come on regular size Cd's, and the Wii can plan GameCube games which come on small size CD's.
Comments
If Apple was really concerned about size they would swtch to USB thumb drives, or to downloads, allowing people to bring in laptops or USB drives to download from a server in the store for speed should they with to.
Hell in bulk 2 gig USB key chains are what 8 bucks
Apple could keep truckloads in stock and then
Software package $100.00
and you get a sheet of paper for the license, and download at home.
or
Software package $100.00
Key Chain $10.00
The apple store employee burns the key and hands it over
Mike Hathaway
Apple may be thinking about this, but come on. A regular CD is not that much bigger than a mini cd after you package it, most apple products wont fit on a mini dvd to start with.
Hell in bulk 2 gig USB key chains are what 8 bucks
Apple could keep truckloads in stock and then
Software package $100.00
and you get a sheet of paper for the license, and download at home.
Even 2GB is way too small for most of Apple's software. And 2GB can be a lot to download on some forms of broadband. $8 is a lot compared to a pressed DVD, which might be less than $0.25 US in bulk, and store twice as much.
If Apple was going use a flash based installer instead of DVDs I think they would have a FW-400 plug on them.
I don't think there's much to gain now, and an unnecessary added expense for a flash or ROM device that would only get rarely used.
Oh, you mean the format that couldn't put a production writer on the market for over a year past its introduction and is still limited to 1x writing on dual layer media, while its rival has nearly the same capacity on one layer, is at 4x and climbing and already has 8cm recordable media available?
You Blu-Ray guys always have to get a word in, don't you?
I wasn't serious. Did you miss the THREE smilies?
While I have no opinion about Apple saving cash on their shipping costs, I do have a problem. I am the proud owner of a Macbook Pro and I love it, however, my camcorder records on mini dvds. I need some type of adapter/converter to edit my mini dvds in my mac. Can anyone point me in the right direction to purchase something like this. I've looked in Best Buy and Radio Shack, but no luck so far. Hopefully someone out there who's been at this longer than me knows the direction I should go. Thanks.
An external DVD drive that uses a normal tray-loading drive should have no problem with the mini DVDs.
Those adapters, while holding the CD single reasonably firmly, are still clunky and the adapter and CD single can rotate at different speeds. I.e. since the CD single is perfectly round there is nothing to lock it in place to prevent it from rotating inside the adapter. Recent superdrives spin the discs really fast and I am not sure whether at 50+ times the speed of an ordinary audio CD player that adapter will still hold the disc in place - afterall these adapters have been designed for audio CDs and the speeds these usually spin at. If the CD single dislodges at 50+ speeds - say good-bye to your CD and drive!
I would use the adapter if I'm desperate, but I'd rather not risk this on a regular basis with a lot of discs.
It would be much better if Apple starts using slot loading drives that can also accept CD singles (they do exist).
@Dixie Dog
Even though I have such adapters, if I were in your place and plan on using small CDs on a very regular basis, I would get a cheap external drive that accepts them - just for peace of mind.
Who, exactly, gives a crap about mini CDs?
Read post #66.
But this is a nine month old story.
Seems to me that CDs are already small enough. Why would we want to complicate things for the user for the sake of saving a few pennies? I think this is kind of a silly move.
So people would think cool, buy it, and then realise they couldn't even import music or Rip DVD's. Then they'd have to buy them on iTunes.
Seriously though, having a small drive in the Air, if we had that besides having none that would be cool.
I owned a Wii, and what I found really amazing was that "without any adapter" or tool you could stick both regular and small size CD's into the device. And it's SLOT LOADING, which makes it even more amazing!
Wii games come on regular size Cd's, and the Wii can plan GameCube games which come on small size CD's.
VIDEO
Trust me, this is not a fake. It's not my video, but I owned a Wii. It takes both sizes. It just works!
How can I buy one of these adapters?
Looking for used or new mini-disc adapter for slot-loading drives.