Is iMac i7 trashing CDs & DVDs--what to do? - 06/16/10 08:21 PM
I have an iMac i7 that arrived last November. Since then, I have noticed that there are a lot of scratches on the recorded surface (not the label side) of CDs and DVDs that have been caused by using the discs in the iMac i7. Access to the iMac is restricted to two adult persons and they are both very careful in how they use it. I believe that abuse is not an issue. Today, I attempted to do maintenance by booting from the Install DVD, but it would not boot. I tried a couple of methods to get it to boot but it would not.
Upon examining the recorded surface of the Install DVD, there seemed to be more scratches on it than there were when I first inserted it into the i7's slot today.
I can contact AppleCare for an appointment to repair the slot drive, but I've always had a suspicion that slot drives are not as good as those with a horizontal tray, such as the one in my Mac Pro. My first urge is to forget the slot drive and buy a USB2 compatible external DVD/CD drive. Is this just an emotional reaction or does it have some merit to it? I looked at OWC's offerings and there are many. Apple's online store didn't appear to have any except one for the MacBook Air. Comments and advice are most welcome.
Upon examining the recorded surface of the Install DVD, there seemed to be more scratches on it than there were when I first inserted it into the i7's slot today.
I can contact AppleCare for an appointment to repair the slot drive, but I've always had a suspicion that slot drives are not as good as those with a horizontal tray, such as the one in my Mac Pro. My first urge is to forget the slot drive and buy a USB2 compatible external DVD/CD drive. Is this just an emotional reaction or does it have some merit to it? I looked at OWC's offerings and there are many. Apple's online store didn't appear to have any except one for the MacBook Air. Comments and advice are most welcome.