close this bookTidBITS#204   19931129
View the documentMailBITS/29-Nov-93
View the documentSuperDrive Activism
View the documentMacTCP Call to Arms
View the documentDOS Compatible Details
View the documentTrue Mac Stories!
View the documentXanadu Light
View the documentFoot Notes

SuperDrive Activism

Jamie McCarthy <k044477@hobbes.kzoo.edu> passed on a quote from the Dec-93 AppleDirections newsletter that might gratify those on the nets who complained vociferously about proposed plans to eliminate the auto-eject mechanism on the SuperDrive.

Just to be crystal clear about this, the new SuperDrive disk drives require no change in the way you deliver your software. Despite earlier reports, Apple will not be making the transition to manual-eject drives that read only MFM-format disks, largely because of feedback from customers and developers. The new Apple SuperDrive will read disks formatted using either GCR or MFM (that is, the format used by DOS/Windows systems) standards and will continue to feature automatic ejection of floppy disks.

I'm not fond of the manual inject mechanism used in the new SuperDrives, but the dust cover is good, and less expensive Macs and replacement parts are useful as well. It's nice to see Apple listening to feedback.