Apple moves to support DVD+RW format

[Savant]

Apple moves to support DVD+RW format (CNET - Oct. 13)

After years of backing only one format in the recordable DVD format war, Apple Computer is adding limited support of a rival format into its operating system. Apple, a longtime supporter of the DVD-R format, confirmed Monday that it is adding support for DVD+R and DVD+RW into the Macintosh operating system with Panther, the new version of Mac OS X that ships next week. Apple is only adding support for backing up data and has not yet added support for the format into its media applications, such as iDVD and iTunes. (full article here)

[The village idiot]

Must be they are no longer buying Panasonic drives. Wonder if that means no more -RAM in a Mac?

[Bob W]

Apple needs to add support for Windows then they may actually sell a few computers.

[The village idiot]

Apple needs to port their OS to the x86 platform so that we can have a real OS :P

I think the only thing that is stopping MS from releasing a Mac version is an old agreement not to try and go after the other's hardware.

[the future]

Apple needs to port their OS to the x86 platform so that we can have a real OS :P

I think the only thing that is stopping MS from releasing a Mac version is an old agreement not to try and go after the other's hardware.

Apple will never port OS X to x86 because they make most of their money with hardware and are not interested in having their (superior) OS run on cheap PC hardware.

The very idea that Microsoft would release "a Mac version" of Windows (= a Windows version for Power PC processors) is absolutely ridiculous. No-one buying Macintosh hardware would ever consider running a Windows OS on it.

[RabidDog]

except all those people running pc emulators !

[Faustus]

Just to clear things up. Apple uses Pioneer drives up until recently on their computers for -R support. Recently they shifted to Sony drives (I think) and sorta supported +R on a limted level. So this is kinda old news.

[john1290]

Just to clear things up. Apple uses Pioneer drives up until recently on their computers for -R support. Recently they shifted to Sony drives (I think) and sorta supported +R on a limted level. So this is kinda old news.

Kinda old news, maybe. Kinda BIG news, definitely. Apple moving to support +R for data backup is a huge step in the right direction. It's only a matter of time before consumers demand iDVD support +R for video work.

Question....all you folks with -rw drives, did you buy US Robotics HST modems when they first hit as well? Early adopters of new formats sometimes get burned. Gotta learn to deal with it and let go.

[the future]

except all those people running pc emulators !

Running a pc emulator on a Mac is exactly the situation for which the term 'necessary evil' was invented. And as tons of apps are being ported from Unix/Linux to OS X (in addition to those written natively for OS X), this particular evil is getting less necessary by the minute.

On topic: OS X 10.3 ("Panther"), released on October 24th, will indeed support DVD+R(W) as well as DVD-RW – up until now only DVD-R was officially supported. You could always use DVD+R(W) with 3rd party apps like Toast Titanium (burning software), though.

[Faustus]

Just to clear things up. Apple uses Pioneer drives up until recently on their computers for -R support. Recently they shifted to Sony drives (I think) and sorta supported +R on a limted level. So this is kinda old news.

Kinda old news, maybe. Kinda BIG news, definitely. Apple moving to support +R for data backup is a huge step in the right direction. It's only a matter of time before consumers demand iDVD support +R for video work.

Question....all you folks with -rw drives, did you buy US Robotics HST modems when they first hit as well? Early adopters of new formats sometimes get burned. Gotta learn to deal with it and let go.

Theres no burn here at all. You make it sound like Apple has just dropped -R support. It could not be further from the truth. It makes since that if most the major drive manufactuers sell Dual format drives that they enable the OS to support both formats.

[Delerious]

[/quote]

Kinda old news, maybe. Kinda BIG news, definitely. Apple moving to support +R for data backup is a huge step in the right direction. It's only a matter of time before consumers demand iDVD support +R for video work.

Question....all you folks with -rw drives, did you buy US Robotics HST modems when they first hit as well? Early adopters of new formats sometimes get burned. Gotta learn to deal with it and let go.[/quote]

I bought it, and used their trade-up program to go to their Dual standard
when that became available. I still have a USR Dual Standard here (I forget
what they changed the name too on their latest). I didn't feel like I got burnt.
Their modem was (and still is) rock solid. As fast as things are moving now,
it would be great if I could trade-up my video, CDRW, DVDRW, etc. and get
the latest at a discount

[Cornucopia]

Apple needs to port their OS to the x86 platform so that we can have a real OS :P

I think the only thing that is stopping MS from releasing a Mac version is an old agreement not to try and go after the other's hardware.

Apple will never port OS X to x86 because they make most of their money with hardware and are not interested in having their (superior) OS run on cheap PC hardware.

The very idea that Microsoft would release "a Mac version" of Windows (= a Windows version for Power PC processors) is absolutely ridiculous. No-one buying Macintosh hardware would ever consider running a Windows OS on it.

You forget your recent history:

M$ had versions of Windows NT 3.01 & 3.51 that ran on the IBM variant of PowerPC. Was available for about 6 years, but they phased it out by the time of NT4 'cuz x86 processors were so much more popular and increasing in speed by leaps and bounds.

Also, Apple isn't interested in porting, but mainly because they can't CONTROL all the 3rd party options and variables like they do (and have done) with their own stuff.

[Faustus]

Much as a I hope and dream for the day I can run OSX on my Athlon its just not gonna happen. Apple sees itself as a hardware company mostly, even though they are only so so at computer hardware. The refuse to understand that software is what they are really good at. As far as having control of things there is no reason why apple could not keep a tight reign on who has offical hardware to work with the OS, but I still don't see it happening.

But I'll keep dreaming...

[the future]

Much as a I hope and dream for the day I can run OSX on my Athlon its just not gonna happen. Apple sees itself as a hardware company mostly, even though they are only so so at computer hardware. The refuse to understand that software is what they are really good at. ... But I'll keep dreaming...

You're right, OS X on Athlon is not gonna happen. Rumor has it that Apple does indeed internally have OS X builds that run on x86 hardware (project "Marklar"), but only as a last option if all else fails.

It would be interesting to know why you think Apple hardware is "so so". It's true that Apple hardware suffered in the last 2 years or so because of Motorolas slow development of faster G4 processors, but as IBM (producer of the G5 processor) is Apple new best friend – and one huge friend with a very promising roadmap for their processor development – Apple's hardware is second to none again, speed-wise, and the industrial design and build quality are still unparalleled. As always, quality has a price tag, and you get what you pay for.

On the other hand it is very understandable that people would like an option to run OS X on cheaper hardware, and maybe one day Apple will recognize that there are a lof of potential switchers waiting for a modestly-priced, expandable tower.

[tgpo]

Apple needs to add support for Windows then they may actually sell a few computers.

They seem to be selling plenty. THey posted a $40 million profit the other day. Seems like they are doing just fine without lowering themselves to the windows world.

[MikieV]

Must be they are no longer buying Panasonic drives. Wonder if that means no more -RAM in a Mac?

I don't think the DVD-RAM has been an option, for awhile. Since they shifted to the "SuperDrive" labeling, they have been running a progression of Pioneer drives i.e A03, A04, A05 - which mainly support CD-R/RW and DVD-R/RW.

In the last year-or-so, with the move to G4 PowerBooks with "Superdirves" - the list of suppliers of drives has increased, and (in G4 desktops) Sony's DW-U10A being used in some configurations was the first step in allowing dual-format DVD burning.

From published reports on the G5s, Pioneer A06 dual-format drives are used in build-to-order machines, and Sony DW-U10As are used in stock configurations (but that may just be "luck of the draw" for the people reporting their configurations - and not Apple's intent).

So, it would depend on if any of the drives Apple uses can read/write to the -RAM format. At worst, get an external drive, or put an existing drive in an external FW/USB2 enclosure.

Mike

[Faustus]

Jobs commands you all to buy an iPod.

"Its for your own good!" he states.

[MikieV]

Apple needs to port their OS to the x86 platform so that we can have a real OS :P

I think the only thing that is stopping MS from releasing a Mac version is an old agreement not to try and go after the other's hardware.

They are -publicly- keeping their foot in the door, by releasing the "Darwin" packages for X86 as "open source".

Darwin for x86 doesn't have any of the Quartz/Aqua functions, or any of the other proprietary "Mac" features - but it is a way to keep the core of the system running on x86, as it progresses => it seems to me this would make it easier to "bolt-on" the rest, if the situation warrants it.

However, IMHO, the shift to IBM's 64-bit processor, and the same "HyperTransport"(HyperSpeed?) bus AMD is using for its' 64-bit systems, reduces the need to capitulate the processor "war" to the Intel/AMD camp.

Mike

[dcsos]

True that APPLE been using the SONY 500 type drives in g4's and g5's but the DUAL-WRITE was disabled
and like the original poster says, +R is now offically recognized

This is BIG NEWS as I've had so much trouble reading plus discs on MACS it isn't funny!

Some of them read in the SONYS but the files are greyed out in any OS window and you can't copy or rip (OS X doesn't rellt see them although sometimes you can play the title) Other times, the disc won't even mount.. Of course if you have a pioneer 103 or 104 superdrive you'll never even see plus media, but the pioneer 105, and 106 read +
HOO RAY!

can they burn +R at 8X?

no chance as PANTHER will only support the slower 4x "+" drives
(probably better quality at low speed anyway)