Just tested an Apple Super Drive Model: A1379 / EMC No: 2526 with a Quicksilver running OS 9, OS X Tiger and Leopard.
(Via USB 1.1 and a USB 2.0 card.) Same also tested with an MDD. NO-GO. Sorry.
Thank you for testing, much appreciated. However I wouldn't expect it to work with USB 1.1 or a USB add-on card. The SuperDrive draws more power than the USB 2.0 spec allows, so only works with Macs introduced after it was released which have the ability to supply the required power over their USB ports.
The A1379 Superdrive was made for the Macbook Air and Macbook Pro from 2008 when they stopped building them into the laptops.
The A1379 is also the model I have that was made for all Macs.
if you have a firewire enclosure around, try that with a modern drive of your choice, the chance is high that it works. the issue is the USB device, not the drive itself.
Thanks, I wondered if that was the case. Given the non-standard USB interface on the SuperDrive I assume the Mac OS 9 CD/DVD Driver doesn't know how to deal with it. I have an old FireWire drive somewhere that I might dig out.
Appreciate all the advice.