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MacBook Air SuperDrive hacked up

by Adam Fisher-Cox on Jun 24, 2008 at 09:50 PM

MacBookAir
A DIY-minded Mac user by the handle of TnkGrl undertook the responsiblity of investigating the MacBook Air’s SuperDrive. As ArsTechnica reports, it seems by all accounts to be a normal external drive. But it only works with the MacBook Air. Now, gather round and hear the story of the “Mystery of the Superdrive.”

Was the problem in the USB port providing more power to the drive? No, TnkGrl disproved that by changing the amount of power using a cable, but the MacBook Air’s SuperDrive still worked. Was the problem in the drivers? No, nothing on the MacBook Air indicated special drivers. Was the problem in the firmware? No, dismantling the drive and popping it in a PC worked. It couldn’t be the firmware.

What, then, could it be?

TnkGrl had narrowed it down to one last answer: the IDE to USB bridge. After buying a new one and soldering it in place, she now has a SuperDrive that works with any computer.

Yay, TnkGrl!

Via (in less picture-book terms) [ArsTechnica]

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