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Question on Compatibility of iBook and TiBook optical drives

Submitted by tmtomh on January 16, 2006 - 6:50pm. PowerPC Macs

For Dan K. or anyone else with the required expertise:

Can an optical drive from an iBook G4 be installed in a 400MHz Powerbook G4?

Specifically, the pix I've seen of TiBook G4 optical drives show them to have a different form factor than more modern optical drives like those in the iBook G4. But I don't know if the drive is a different size/shape, or if the TiBook just uses a cage/carrier that makes it look different.

I also note from Dan's Web page that iBook G4s use, among other models, a Matshita CW-8123 "combo" drive, whereas 400/500MHz TiBooks use, among others, a Matshita CW-8121-B. I imagine - but do not know for sure - that these drives must share a basic form-factor, in which case the two different models of Mac would have physically interchangeable optical drives.

Can anyone confirm?

TIA,
Matt

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dankephoto's picture

re: Question on Compatibility of iBook and TiBook optical drives

Submitted by dankephoto on January 16, 2006 - 8:33pm.

Scroll down my page to "TiBook optical drive upgrades", where you'll find the answer to your question. Laughing out loud

I wrote:
The first generation 400/500 TiBooks use a non-standard-form-factor slot-load DVD slim drive, without any extra brackets and with a non-standard location for its 50-pin ATAPI connector. . . .
The G4 iBooks use standard form-factor slotload drives.
I wrote:
To sum up, to install a standard slot-load slim drive into a 400/500 TiBook, from a TiBook 550/667 you'll need a pair of brackets and an interface cable, plus you'll have to trim the case bottom.

dan k

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tmtomh's picture

Thanks!

Submitted by tmtomh on January 18, 2006 - 5:56am.

Didn't notice that bit - it always pays to scroll!

Matt

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