The MacBook Air doesn't have an optical drive, but it does have a new software feature called Remote Disk. This comes with every MacBook Air and works with both Macs and PCs. Simply install the Remote Disk software on the Mac or PC that has an optical drive and that drive will now be available to the MacBook Air. Slide a disk into the optical drive and Remote Disk shows up in the MacBook Air's Finder. Install software to your heart's content, but sadly you won't be burning CDs using Remote Disk.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
1-15-2008 @ 2:44PM
Jon Niola said...
I would like to see more details on this "remote disk" software. Hopefully they will divulge more details soon.
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1-15-2008 @ 2:44PM
Russell said...
Whatever, I can do that in Windows 2000.
I don't care about some lame overpriced under specced macbook, what I want to know is where 10.5.2 is! What ever happened to fixing the current bugs before adding new features.
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1-15-2008 @ 3:11PM
Kevin said...
Actually, you could already do this in Mac OS X (Even in Mac OS 9), I just think that the software makes it so that it is instant instead of having to access the remote computer first. Also, you claim of overpriced and under specced. I would like to see where I could get the same specs in the same size package for that price.
1-15-2008 @ 2:53PM
Fritz Laurel said...
Seems like an official variation on a theme that we Mac hacks have been doing since the late 80s with System 6. I like it.
Cheers,
FL
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1-15-2008 @ 2:55PM
Michael Schmitt said...
So... how does one do a clean install of the OS on one of these things?
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1-15-2008 @ 4:28PM
Yazdgerd said...
99 bucks external drive. :-)
1-15-2008 @ 6:04PM
Big John said...
With Remote Disc. They're mentioning it *everywhere*.
1-15-2008 @ 6:47PM
Michael Schmitt said...
@ Big John: Remote Disc is software that allows you to connect to a Mac or PC's optical drive. That software has to be loaded into the system in order for it to work, and you run the optical drive through the Finder. Last time I did a clean install of OS X, the computer restarted and booted OFF THE INSTALL DISC. So, you're saying that Remote Disc allows for wireless boot disks now?
1-18-2008 @ 11:15PM
Michael Schmitt said...
Apparently... it's true... http://www.tuaw.com/2008/01/18/reader-questions-can-you-install-xp-via-remote-disk-on-a-macboo/
1-15-2008 @ 2:57PM
MasterLeep said...
How would you restore a corrupted system with Remote Disk?
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1-15-2008 @ 3:08PM
Jason said...
uh, you might want to spell it correctly: Remote Disc
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1-15-2008 @ 3:23PM
Vijay said...
I think the word Disc is spelled Disk in UK (probably rest of the world too, although philips' CD is spelled "Compact Disc").
1-15-2008 @ 3:48PM
Rae Whitlock said...
Magnetic = "Disk"
Optical = "Disc"
1-15-2008 @ 3:17PM
Steven Schmitt said...
I wish they would have come out with a laptop at a lower price point. From a business point of view all these new "air" products work beautifully together to better position Apple in the whole home "digtal hub" thing... The problem as I see it is that the MacBook Air, due to it's niche market focus, is not going to create the number of users (nor the right segment of users) to really make the Apple TV and the Time capsule take off like they should.) Imagine if they had made a scaled down laptop (no drives, and limited speed, kind of a middle ground laptop between the ibook and ipod touch. That is something that people could get into cheaply and get them vested in the Apple home network idea... As cool as the MacBook Air looks, I think Apple really missed an opportunity here.
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1-15-2008 @ 3:20PM
mick129 said...
So is there a way to choose who can see your disks?
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1-15-2008 @ 4:10PM
alexis said...
so i'd have to remotely burn a cd?
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1-15-2008 @ 4:14PM
Brian said...
Is "you won't be burning CDs using Remote Disk" actually based on feedback from Apple employees on the show floor?
I suspect Remote Disc is based on iSCSI, which is how they get it to work on both Windows and Mac, and would allow burning, although they might have that capability blocked.
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1-15-2008 @ 6:21PM
Edicius said...
Why would you want to burn remotely? Just burn it on the remote computer. Why involve the Macbook Air? Just transfer the files remotely then burn or use a USB flash drive to move them to the other computer when you go to insert the CD.
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1-16-2008 @ 12:21AM
Randall said...
Seriously? Why do you want to take something that normally only takes 1 step and make it multiple steps? What if I want to burn a movie that I made with iDVD? So I need to move all my video files, my iDVD project, any pictures over and then I have to have another mac as well.
Or I could just click burn and it sends the data to the other computers burner.
1-16-2008 @ 2:18PM
Edicius said...
Well, it is already multiple steps, you have to put blank a DVD in the other computers drive, then go back to the laptop and click burn, then go back to the other one and get the disc out of it. You could just connect wirelessly with the laptop from the desktop and then drag the files over and burn them. This is not an issue.