USB DVD burner for my iBook G4?

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phillipso

Registered
I'm looking to buy an external dual layer DVD burner so i can back stuff up from my G4 iBook (1.2Ghz, 512mb ram, 12", combo drive). Ive been wondering about general mac compatability, seeing as how a lot of drives only seem to mention compatability with windows.

However i've found a LaCie drive which would fit the bill nicely. This is available in both USB2.0 and firewire models. LaCie seem to recommend firewire for any mac below a G5, but the firewire model costs almost twice as much as the usb. Would the USB model work okay?

Another deciding factor could be that i currently have a free firewire port, whereas my usb ports currently run a mouse, printer, scanner, external hard drive, audio/midi interface, camera, ipod...etc. obviously im using a hub, but the strain could be getting a bit much? theres only 2 usb ports on my ibook.

do i have to fork out the extra money for the firewire drive?

these are the drives im looking at:
firewire: http://www.it247.com/Product/215-300982EK
USB: http://www.it247.com/Product/215-300981EK

Cheers!
 
I've got some NEC DVD burner in an external USB 2.0 case. Works just fine. Has been working with an iBook G4 as well, IIRC. The "stress" on the USB ports shouldn't really be too much. Just make sure you don't scan, transfer pix from the camera, record music in Garage Band AND transfer music to the iPod while burning a DVD. ;) As long as the devices/ports are relatively idle, it shouldn't pose a problem at all.
 
Ah cheers, think i'll save myself some money then. I dont think the usb one comes with mac software, but i currently run toast titanium 7, i take it toast will just pick it up when it's plugged in?

On an aside, i little while ago i decided my 4 port usb hub was filling up and i bought a cheapo 7 port self-powered high speed hub on ebay. This doesnt work at all with my ibook. Do you recokon this is just due to it being a cheap hong-kong copy, or is there an issue with using big hubs like this?
 
Yep, Toast 7 will simply recognise and use it nicely.
About the hub: I'd say it's probably just broken.
 
Thats grand, Hope youre right, i just forked out a load of money for the USB drive, a new 7 port hub, and some blank dual layer discs

Thanks for your help!
 
Hope I'm right as well. :) I'm positive. dual layer discs are still quite expensive over here in Switzerland. I hope they go down more quickly now, because I intend to get into that - it just hasn't been cheap enough yet.
 
Theyre quite pricey here in the UK too. The ones i just got seemed like a good deal though, a box of 10 Memorex discs with jewel cases for £15. (Thats about 22 Euros i think) Got them from www.it247.com. I wanted the dual layer ones mainly to back up my music library, and for films that are too long for regular 4.7 gig discs. Im going to stick with the cheapo single layer discs for general use though.

For some reason i can't seem to find dual layer lightscribe discs... do they exist?!?!
 
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