Comments on: FastMac Optical Drive Upgrade Kit

By: Barbara Torode

Barbara Torode — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:37:34 +0000

please send me a link to the Apple.com instrux for the 1st gen iMac G5 – I found a manual for a later model only; how do you get that middle screw out of the bottom of the machine? Anyone have experience with OWC replacements, internal & external? many thanx. bt (duffer)torodesign@verizon.net

By: JimZBrewer

JimZBrewer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:27:37 +0000

Michael,

Thanks so much for your post. Like Heidi, I had to replace a bad drive in my IMac G5 and the Apple instructions were not enough. With your advice, I had the Mac opened up and closed with the new drive in place and working in about 40 minutes.

As Heidi found, you really have to push hard on the drive to get it out of the bracket, and it was tricky changing the faceplate on the drive so it would fit the opening on the side of the Mac. But it all worked great.

Thanks again.
Jim

By: Heidi P

Heidi P — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:26:53 +0000

I just received a replacement optical drive for my first generation IMAC G5 from Macsales.com same as described by Michael. I also downloaded the instructions from the Apple web-site and it seemed fairly easy. Now I can’t get the old drive out of the mounting brackets. I am pushing but it is not moving? I don’t want to push too hard because I am afraid something could break. The bracket is so tight there is no screw or anything. Can anyone help? Thank you.

By: IntrepidSilence

IntrepidSilence — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 22:13:17 +0000

This is a very interesting write-up to me considering I just went through something similar with FastMac yesterday. I ordered the 802.11n upgrade card for my original MacBook Pro 17″. I found some disassembly instructions somewhere else on the web to assist me in taking the MBP apart, which turns out to be very easy. I took out the old 802.11g card and put in the 802.11n upgrade card, only to discover the card is manufactured to different specs than what was in my laptop originally which prevents the card from laying flat in the original location. Unfortunately, this causes the card to stick up above the edge of the tray that all of the MBP components sit inside of which causes the keyboard lid to bulge where the new card is. Not only does this make my MBP look horrible, I am quite sure this is placing undesired pressure on the card, so I called FastMac. They told me that they had never heard of this problem before and that they have only ever sold one part number for this upgrade and that they didn’t currently have a MBP 17″ in the shop that they could use to verify my problem with. So they deiced to hand me off to someone to replace it or refund my money. Of course a replacement will be the same part and will bind with the internal speaker case just like the part I already have will. So I opted for the refund. But here is the kicker: When I was talking to the office manager who it seems is the person who orders the parts, she said “this card is made to the exact specifications of Apple’s 802.11n card”. I then proceeded to explain that if that is true then it fully explains why it doesn’t fit into my MBP 17″ which NEVER had an Apple 802.11n card designed for it in the first place. I tried to help her understand that for them to sell the card as an upgrade card (as opposed to a replacement card) for the MBP 17″, then the 802.11n card that they sell would need to be made to the exact specifications of the original 802.11g card that shipped with the MBP from Apple. I was never clear that she understood what I was saying. So now I am waiting for my return shipping label so I can get a refund from FastMac. In the meantime I have ordered the 802.11n upgrade from QuickerTek and I am hoping to have a little more success there. Has anyone else experienced problems with FastMac products fitting as expected? (BTW – I also needed a Torx #6 driver that was not included in the ‘Kit’ like it should have been.)