DVD-RAM the ultimate floppy disc

[supernova777]

Steve Job Unveils the g4 in this video
49:00 introduction of the g4

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQz51K7RFmY[/youtube]

57:30 he discusses the different "shipped" features in the 3 available models


the 500mhz AGP "top of the line model" was the model which shipped with this
DVD-RAM drive... at this 58:00 min mark you can hear steve jobs say
"a DVD-RAM in the 500 which means you have over 5gb of removable storage with
a media cost of under 40$ who wants their floppy back?" of course now these discs
are available for 10-15$ each

the g4 was originally intended by steve jobs to be used with DVD-RAM...!!
something that we've all forgotten...how these DVD-RAM drives work
is just like a floppy disk... except with optical media laser instead of magnetic parts.
support for these DVD-RAM discs is built directly into mac os beginning with version 8.6
allowing you to format them just like a hard drive + copy files 1 at a time or 100 at a time
in the same way you would work with a floppy disc.

very much different to how DVD-R / DVD+R work.
the dvd-ram discs last up to 25 years longer then the DVD-R type media
and are rewritable thousands of times more then DVD-RW or DVD+RW.
this is the type of storage used by the us + canadian governments!!!!
by police + hospitols.. because of its longevity over the other DVD-R/W & DVD+R/W
and because of its re-usability... u can wipe the disk and re-use it just liek a floppy disk!
only its a very big 5gb-9gb floppy disk!!

I think steve jobs intended that every g4 eventually be upgraded to a DVD-RAM drive
and yet most people think these drives are outdated + to be thrown in the garbage
because they dont burn CDR/Ws or DVD-R/Ws.. but for mac os 9 files.. DVD-RAM
is superior because of how it works just like a hard drive!! for backing up mac os 9 data files this is the ultimate
optical hard drive backup!



ive collected more information on dvd-rams here
alot of these drives are seen on ebay going for more than 150$ but alot of them are seen for about 40-60$ aswell.
i think that alot of people are uneducated as to what exactly dvd-ram is and how it differes from the other dvd formats
i think that if we were to look in our local shops it would be easy to find a dvd-ram drive that coudl be obtained for 10$ because
the person selling it simply has no idea what it really is.. and that it is different from any other dvd drive

alot of new drives that bear the "multi-recorder" or "Super multi" logos have support for dvd-ram.. but usually not for the double sided disc cartridges
i think that to properly use dvd-ram with mac os you may need to have an official "Apple supported" DVD ram
the model numbers for these drives that bear the apple logo are :

Panasonic/Matsushita LF-D111A (supporting 2.6gb single sided / 5.2gb double sided media)
Panasonic/Matsushita LF-D211A (supporting 4.7gb single sided / 9.4gb double sided media)

im pretty sure these models support the double sided discs / cartridges, they were both shipped with power mac g4 computers directly for apple, and the markings on the drives say that they were manufactuered to apple's specifications.

for me the biggest benefit of using DVD-RAM is 100% integration with mac os..
and most of all.. the way in which you can drag 1 file to the drive.. edit a file on the drive.. and resave it.. and it uses the optical
disc just like a hard drive... this is the way DVD was meant to be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this simple fact of how its used on an everyday basis. blows away any other use of dvd

[supernova777]

apparently most drives (sata) that you can buy for like 20$ at any store
will support DVD-RAM if they bear the "multi" name in anyway "Super multi" or "multi recorder"

but maxell is the only manufacturer of 6x-12x dvd-ram and they only sell them in JAPAN!!!!

i want some 12x dvd-ram!!!!!
optical floppy drive! 4.7gb single side!
drag n drop file copy integration with mac os 9!

as far as long-lasting optical storage goes
m-disc only supports 4x speed...
dvd-ram is the next best thing to m-disc + is totally NATIVELY supported in mac os 9!
the only fucking problem is getting the discs

[supernova777]

a big question i have regarding dvd-ram cartridge use is,
when using the dvd-ram 9.4gb cartridges in a cartridge loading 4.7/9.4gb dvd-ram drive, does it see both sides of the disc as one 9.4gb disc?
i have read that its possble to use type2/type4 discs that are removable from their cartridges in non-cartridge loading tray dvd-ram capable drives... but that u must flip the disc in order to access the other 4.7gb of space on the other side of the disc..

but nowhere have i read whether or not the cartridges are usable in the opposite fashion, so my question is, are these 9.4gb cartridge discs usable in mac os 8.6+ as a full 9.4 gb disc... or must these 9.4gb cartridges also be flipped over to access the 2nd side?

im hoping the answer is that they are indeed usable as 9.4gb discs, without flipping them over.
the combination of protection offered by the cartridge, combined with the large size may be ideal
for having a hard copy long-lasting + rewritable backup.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht3072
this apple document states that only single sided 2.6gb dvd-ram are supported without being in cartridge.
as far as i understand it the gigabit ethernet models shipped with a more updated version of the dvd-ram drive (Panasonic LF-D211) then the first sawtooth 500mhz (Panasonic LF-D111), with the more updated drive supporting single sided 4.7gb/double sided 9.4gb.. and the original sawtooth 500mhz supporting only 2.6gb single/5.2gb double cartridges. the wording of the document seems to suggest that writing to a disc REQUIRES the disc being in a cartridge in both drives, whether itis a single sided or double sided disc, of either capacity (2.6 per side or 4.7 per side)


elsewhere in the document it clearly states:
Note: You can only write to a DVD-RAM disc that is in a cartridge.
i believe this is only relevant to these specific models of dvd-ram drives that were originally shipped with g4s by apple.
i think that later on, dvd-ram drives allowed writing to discs out of their cartridges but im not certain.
if anyone has any experience please share;)