G5 using Macbook as an external optical drive

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone knows if it is possible to use a macbook as an external optical drive for a G5 powermac to update the system software?
My optical drive on the G5 no longer spins discs for some reason.
I was thinking it might be possible to use a firewire and mount it as an external drive with the CD inside.
any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

Hi Jaaniekregg, and a warm welcome to the forums!
If your MacBook has Firewire & you have a cable, then boot the MacBook into Target Mode, connect the two via Firewire, boot the G5 with the option key held down & you should be able to select the DVD in the MacBook to boot the G5 from.

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Installing Win7 on a macbook pro using a mac mini as external optical drive

hi everyone,
My 2 year old son watches movies on my macbook pro. He stuck something in the optical drive making it unusable. Repairing it is 200 to 300 euros (ouch).
I want to install win7 via bootcamp and I'm using my mac mini (october 2009) as an external optical drive. These are my steps:
1.hold the "t" on the mac mini
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PS1:I already have partitioned the HD with bootcamp.
PS2:I've upgraded the hard disk drive of the macbook with a seagate momentus 500GB hard disk. Don't think this is the problem, thought I should mentioned it.

Hi Mike,
For reference it is called "IP over Firewire".
Connect the two computers with a fire wire cable. System Preferences > Network > Configure IPv4: > Manually > IP address: 192.168.3.1 (and .2 on other) > Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.0. Leave the other fields blank. Do this on both computers on the computer you want to allow access to or both for two way access go to System Preference > Sharing > Select a service to change its settings. Turn remote Login on.
On the MBP go to the Finder Menu > Go > Connect to Server > Type in the IP address of the Mini 192.168.3.2 (Whatever you gave it)
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Sweet Polly

Ripping DVDs using external optical drive with MacBook

Quick and possibly ridiculously silly question here. I have a collection of about 475 Region-2 DVDs (i.e., playable in the UK, not in the US) I purchased many years ago that are just taking up space. What I would like to do is rip them and store the files on an external drive.
The problem is that the optical drive on my MacBook is broken (no, I’m not happy about it -- see the dozens of pages of complaints in these Forum on the issue) and I don’t want to spend $1000 right now buying a new one.
This means I need to purchase an external optical drive. Unfortunately, I’m pretty confused about whether these things (by LaCie or Samsung, for instance) can actually rip anything, let alone Region 2 DVDs. I know they can write DVDs, but ripping—that I’m not sure about. Logically, they should be able to but I'm wondering whether their ripping capability has been disabled.
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I have a collection of about 475 Region-2 DVDs (i.e., playable in the UK, not in the US)
You must have one of those old-fashioned DVD players that looks for region codes.
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WHAT is the use of a retina display when you can't watch DVD movies? what's the purpose of a super thin retina macbook pro when you need to buy an external optical drive? doesn't it defeat the purpose already?

i don't care if my macbook is a little thicker as long as i don't need to burden myself of an external optical drive just for a simple and common task of watching/listening to discs.

the hippie wrote:
i don't care if my macbook is a little thicker as long as i don't need to burden myself of an external optical drive just for a simple and common task of watching/listening to discs.
I'm confused, why did you choose to buy the retina model if you don't like it? This is exactly why Apple still manufacture/sell the 'old' style MBP which is thicker and has an optical drive built-in!

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Vespita wrote:
Okay, wise guy. I don't use Google, but my Startpage seach yielded this.
Now wasn't that easier than asking us to look for the item for you?
Let me fix your link for you.
"Okay, wise guy. I don't use Google, but my Startpage seach yielded this"

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Message was edited by: Mike Boreham
Message was edited by: Mike Boreham
Message was edited by: Mike Boreham

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Bguzryanto wrote:
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Correct.

G5 using Macbook as an external optical drive

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