SuperDrive To Run Solely On The MacBook Air

One of the MacBook Air’s peripherals is the SuperDrive, a portable CD and DVD burner. Aside from being capable of burning double-layer DVDs, what makes the SuperDrive special is that it doesn’t need a separate power adapter. It relies solely on the USB port. Sounds good, right? There’s a catch, as always. The official product page lists the “MacBook Air computer” as its sole system requirement, implying that it only works on that laptop. Electronista offers an explanation:

While external optical drives have existed that rely on the USB port alone, the particular power demands of the Apple-made drive should prevent it being used elsewhere; the sole USB port has been boosted past its specifications to supply enough power to use the drive with just the data cable rather than a direct power connection, say contacts.

The computer’s port should allow other optical drives; however, the design choice essentially limits the $99 add-on drive to the Air alone.

While cheaper portable drives exist, there is some benefit to not having to carry an external power adapter around (plus finding an outlet to plug it into, for that matter). The SuperDrive’s “Macbook Air-only” stance is an interesting design path. Will other devices follow?

Source: Electronista

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