Okay, actually it’s just using another Mac’s optical drive when your own is unavailable but it’s still a good tip. You may already know that when moving files from one Mac to another, you can turn the “recipient” computer into a large, expensive FireWire drive by stringing a FireWire cable between them, restarting the target computer and holding down its “T” key. However, the optical drives in newer Macs are also accessible using this method, albeit with some caveats:
Now, you probably won't be able to use this drive for burning-I wasn't, at any rate. Nor was I able to use it to watch a DVD movie (in either DVD Player or VLC). But it is a usable CD/DVD drive, meaning you can install that urgently-needed software package, or grab some files off of a burned backup disc.This is definitely getting filed in the “Useful Information in the event of a terrible computer malfunction” category (right alongside “Back up frequently”). Now where’d I put that FireWire cable for the basement iMac?
[Via Macworld]
