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MP 7,1 Curious to know if my slim USB Apple Superdrive is compatible with MP7,1
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Because for 6,1 you had to run a terminal command to make the Superdrive accessible.
a client of mine has a 6.1 with the superdrive and it works
without me ever having entered - sudo nvram boot-args="mbasd=1" - into the terminal !?!
Macs that don't have built in Superdrives should automatically support the USB Superdrive. The drive works without any changes on the 6,1 I use at work.
Over the years since the various versions of the Apple slim, USB Superdrive have been sold there was always issues about it requiring more power than the typical USB port provided. It simply was problematic for people who tried to use it. This is why I was curious, and in addition is the only optical reader/player I have these days and was pleased when finding it worked without issues on the new 2019 Mac Pro. One less thing to buy and not having to recycle the trusty Superdrive.
The current one lists the 2019 desktops as compatible but the Mac Pro 2019 technically isn't on the list. (pretty good chance that is lazy Apple support doc updaters than "lack of sufficient power" on the ports. ). Once the iPads needed heightened power the SuperDrive isn't outside the "Apple ecosystem normal" much.
https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD564LL/A/apple-usb-superdrive
[ The laptops with no USB Type A port have the adapter caveat. But Apple has kept some Type A ports on desktops so far. Probably will for another couple of iterations at least. ]
Lastly it is a USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 power requirements aren't what the older USB 2.0 were even though the socket is still type A. When Apple was still clinging to USB 2.0 that was an issue in that extended transition period.
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Apple's slow doc updates could be a contributor to driving that question.
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I think the question was driven a bit by using older ones already had laying around. ( although if already have it plugging it in is better option for gathering info than coming to the Mac Rumors forums. )
In terms of don't already own one..... Apple's is somewhat dubious. Especially for a desktop. It is still for sale but higher price for not much of a substantive advantage. Pragmatically the current one is the older one. ( this accessory stopped moving forward relatively long ago. )