" Hi Mike,
About 6 months ago I wrote to you about a very frustrating problem I was experiencing with respect to burning cd's with iTunes. I have a beige g3 with an OWC 450mhz zif and a Sony CRX140e atapi drive in place of my old drive. Every time I attempted to burn a cd the burn would quit anywhere from 2 to 6 tracks in and give me an "unknown error -7932" message. I scoured various sites and found many similar complaints from other users (just check out Apple's own discussion boards), and just as many "fixes" (including increasing the ram allocated to iTunes, lowering the burns speeds to 2x, etc.). No matter what I tried nothing helped. I was hoping with OS X this would change, but it didn't. I had basically given up on iTunes and used Toast for all by burning.

Well, lo and behold, with iTunes 2 for OS X the problem has disappeared. I've been getting perfect, fast burns since I downloaded it, and I haven't seen one "unknown error -7932" yet.
Mike Wolfe"

Many reports in the drive database on Sony CDRWs noted they worked well for them, but regardless good to hear that iTunes2 for OS X solved Mike's problems.
Another reader noted that after the iTunes2 for OS 9 install he was still able to use Toast 5.02 also (without needing to apply any Toast updates again, or make custom extension sets.)

• Ray Hill and Vic both wrote that Microdockusa lists slotted 6x DVD ROM drives ($119 currently) and slotted 8X24X4 CDRW drives ($179 currently). Not sure if these would fit the Cube, but they are listed as Apple ROM drives for slotted iMacs. (G3/350 and up models)
  
  
• Greg Meece wrote that ICNI lists the iMac slotted 4x DVD ROM drive for $109 today.

Several other readers (and last night's Other Net News) noted a Sony press release on future Slim models of PCCard and USB 2.0 Combo drives, but not sure they are slotted models. (I was looking for sources of bare slotted Combo drives that might fit in a Cube or Slotted iMac - not sure there are any thin enough for the PowerBook G4 made yet.)
If anyone knows a source for slot-loading DVD/CDRW Combo drives, let me know.

" Mike-
I didn't even see this when I wrote you previously, but the HP driver installation now also installs the DeskJet Utility in the Applications/Utility folder. You can use it to clean the print head, check the ink levels (as long as classic is not running), print out a calibration sheet, print out the WOW page and print the test or diagnostic pages.

Per the included README file there are still issue with duplex printing and other "gotchas", but for the average home user and even some professional users, the HP drivers seem primetime.
Derek "

The HP v1.2 driver update was noted/linked in Friday's news - available from this HP page.

" mike:
just wanted to share some of my initial experiences with the newly release Epson drivers for the 2000p photo printer. everything seems to work just fine. installation was a snap and i was ecstatic to be able to print some photos without booting classic and Photoshop. the one thing missing that i took for granted was the option to make borderless prints from the roll feeder (rolls of 4x6 paper are outstanding for making snapshots for the family). and more than that, after trying to make a 4x6 print, the printer spewed about 3 feet of roll onto the floor before stopping. getting the paper back out of the printer should have been easy except when you don't remember how long to hold the button to get it to reverse feed.
just a few words of warning lest anyone think these new drivers are savvy enough to handle this.
scott "

A 875DCS owner noted the 875DC drivers didn't work with it. (I would have thought the would, less support for the card slot.)

" I've got an Epson 875DCS printer. I downloaded the 875DC printer driver in hopes it would drive the 875DCS. No luck, the printer center still says the 875DCS is an unsupported printer. I though the only difference in the two printers was the built-in card read, the DCS supporting memory sticks. I guess I'll have to wait and see if they release a DCS specific driver.
Thanks for maintaining your site, I visit it daily and have gleened much technical knowledge for it.
Mark "

I installed the Photo 870 drivers and did some limited tests printing in Appleworks 6.2.1 and they seemed to work fine. As noted before here, you have to select "Epson USB" instead of just USB. (BTW - Appleworks 6.2 really fills in a hole for me as far as OS X software. I've not used it a lot yet, but it looks to be the best $79 I've spent on software in a long time.)

Combo DVD/CDRW Drive Reports:
• IDE LG GCC-4120B (12x/8x/32x + 8X DVD) in B&W G3 (OS X)
  (LG filed under "other brands)
• IDE Ricoh 9120A (12x/10x/32x + 8x DVD) in Beige G3 (OS X)
  
  IDE CDRW Reports:
• Lite-On LTR-16102B (16x/10x/40x) in G4/AGP (OS X)
• Sony CRX1611-82U (16x/10x/40x) in Beige G3 (OS X)
• Teac W515EB [no speed noted] in B&W G3 (OS 9.2)
  (DAO mode burn problems noted)
  
  SCSI CDRW Drive Reports:
• HP 9210e 8x/4x/32x (external) w/PowerBase (OS 9.1)
  
  IDE Hard Drive Reports:
• Maxtor 60GB in iMac slot loading (OS 9.2)
  
  SCSI Hard Drive Reports:
• IBM DYSS 318350N 18GB in B&W G3 (OS 9.1)

You can find full owner reports by searching the database by drive/brand/interface/mac models (the latest reports are shown first in searches).
For guides to installing CD/CDRW/DVD drives or Hard drives in many mac models, see the IDE Articles page. The Firewire articles page also has guides on case kits, installing drives, etc.
If you've added a IDE, SCSI, Firewire or USB hard drive, CDRW, tape drive, etc. make sure you add a report to the database. [If you post an updated entry - make sure you use the same name, etc. as you did before so I can find your past entry. Thanks.]

• Newer Tech G4/450 in Beige G3 (rated 9)
• Other World Computing G3/500 in Beige G3 (rated 10)
  (For comparisons of OWC's G3/500 vs G4/400 vs G4/500 see this review)
• Sonnet G3/350 in 6500/250 (rated 10)
  (detailed comments including using OS X 10.1)
• Apple G4/400 AGP OC Report (said his G4/400 CPU was marked as a 500mhz chip)
• Two Apple G4/733 OC Reports

(Warning - Overclocking may not be reliable and could lead to hardware failure or corrupted data.) You can find the full reports by searching the database selecting the indicated Mac model and upgrade card brand/type. If you've upgraded the CPU on your Mac, please post an entry in the database. Search the database for entries from most every upgradable Mac model *before* you buy. (Searchable by mac model/upgrade brand). For detailed reviews with performance tests and install tips, see the CPU Upgrades page.)

• 1 year ago today
• 2 years ago today
• 3 years ago today

Software Updates:
• IP Net Router 1.6.2
• Group Organizer 4.0.1
  
  OS X Related Software:
• Select Munu Illustrator 10
• Gerry's ICQ X
• Pocket Dock 2.2

Mac/PowerPC Related News:
(Note: Rehashing of press releases, repeated news, etc. not listed)

• Apple's risk with iPod: Will the consumers bite? (silicon valley biz journal)
• Hitachi DVD drive leaps language barrier [DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-RAM] (Cnet)
• Laptops: To Have and Have Not (wired)
• Macintosh clients using Windows 2000 NTFS volumes can modify directory permissions (internet security systems)
• IDG World Expo Introduces Online Conference Planner for Macworld San Francisco 2002; 'My Show Planner' Lets Site Visitors Plan Ahead, Save Time (businesswire)
• Receivers called in at MacLine (macuser uk)

Rumors
• Apple seeds 1.6GHz Power Mac G5s (the register)

Gaming Related:
• Atlas - the Gift Of Aramai (freeverse)
• Xbox estimated at breakeven by 2004 (cnet)
• Microsoft Said to Lose $1 Billion on Xbox by 2004 (yahoo)