1. Mac Hard Drive External Case
2. External Hard Drive For Mac
3. Apple Mac Hard Drive
4. Mac Mini Hard Drive Case
5. Mac External Hard Drive On Windows 10

Mac External Hard Drive Reviews

These days everyone is purchasing external hard drives for their computers, because you never know what’s going to happen. Should you lose your computer, or if something happens to its hard drive, then you have completely lost the data on your computer. That means that owning and using an external drive is a smart way to store your information in a separate location, so that you’re prepared in case the unexpected should happen.

Also, people have more data than ever, when you consider all the photos, videos, music, and so much more that folks keep on their computers. Even MacBooks aren’t designed to store all this information, and that’s why an external hard drive will help you to clear some space on your computer. Lets take a look at the top rated Mac external hard drives so that you can be well on your way to finding the right drive for you and your unique requirements.

Best prices on Mac external hard drive enclosure in Tower & Drive Cases. Check out Bizrate for great deals on popular brands like Dell, IBM and In Win. Use Bizrate's latest online shopping features to compare prices. Read product specifications, calculate tax and shipping charges, sort your results, and buy with confidence. Backup your Mac with a portable or desktop hard drive. Safekeep all of your music, photographs, movies and more. Buy online with fast, free shipping.

1. Western Digital

Best Overall Mac External Hard Drive

This backup drive for your Mac is manufactured by WD and features a secure portable storage capacity of up to 3TB. You also get an optional 256-bit AES hardware encryption if you so choose. This drive is compatible with Apple Time Machine as well, and its stylish design adds an overall creative style to your work desk.

You get a whopping USB 3.0 connectivity, and the drive is formatted for MAC OS X, so reformatting will be required for Windows. With a 3 year limited warranty, you can be sure that this drive is going to stand the test of time, and should anything go wrong, it’s easy to simply return it for a refund.

The chances are there’s not going to be any reason to return this drive because it’s solidly constructed and made from only the best materials. Perfect for all your backup and storage needs, you’re going to see that this drive outperforms the rest, and that’s why it’s one of the top rated models on the market.

– Darius Spieth

2. Toshiba

Best Overall Mac External Hard Drive – Runner Up

With its 1 TB capacity and 5400 RPM speed, this backup drive is a top pick because it provides ample storage and comes in a sleek design. This is a USB 3.0 powered portable device that gives you all the add-on storage that you crave, and at a price that you can afford. With its plug and play operation, it’s easy to use this device with no software to install.

The drive accommodates large digital files with a spacious storage capacity that customers swear by. Also, the body of this drive is compact, and smudge-resistant so that you don’t have to deal with unsightly fingerprints. All in all, this is a top rated external drive for Mac because it offers ample storage space in the perfect sized device.

It’s easy to carry on the go, and you can be confident when you’re using it that you’re getting a safe and effective means of saving your important data, so that you can retrieve it whenever you need it most.

– Darius Spieth

3. Seagate

Best Budget Mac External Hard Drive

This external hard drive from Seagate is the perfect solution for backing up your Mac. You get 200GB of free OneDrive cloud storage for up to 2 years, and this is included with your purchase when you register a new Backup Plus drive. After you have registered the drive on seagate.com, you then get an added 200GB on your new or existing OneDrive account.

You can only redeem one offer with your OneDrive account, but you’re going to see that this is really all the storage that you’re going to need. The program allows you to create customized backup plans that include the signature Seagate dashboard software. You can also backup your mobile device photos and videos anytime using the Lyve App which works automatically.

You experience the fastest file transfer with powerful USB 3.0 connectivity. Also, the USB powered backup drive needs no power supply to operate. All in all, what you’re getting here is a tremendous backup drive that is going to give you all the storage that you so desperately need.

– Darius Spieth

Summary of Our Top Picks
Mac computers are superior in a number of different ways, but they’re not completely perfect. Like all computers, they have a limited amount of storage, and in our data-heavy lives, this storage can run out in no time. Owning an external hard drive for your Mac is a wonderful way to not only have a place for this excess data, but also store it safely in case anything should happen to your computer.

We highlighted the top rated external hard drives on the market, and these are popular because they have an ample amount of storage, are affordable, and constructed from the highest quality materials. These top rated models also have the latest technology that makes them easy to use and reach lightening-fast speeds.

If you’re not yet convinced that one of these drives is right for you, then you can take a look at this buyer’s guide to find some other options that are out there for you. Each drive is so different, so it’s important to know what options are available to you so that you can make an informed decision.

Mac External Hard Drive Comparison

Western Digital	Toshiba	Seagate	G-DRIVE	My Passport	Buffalo	U32 Shadow	Air	Mac	Studio
Interface Transfer Rate (GB/s)	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	5.00	10.00	4.80	5.00	5.00	5.00
HDD Capacity (GB)	1,000 – 3,000	500 – 3,000	500 – 2,000	1,000	500 – 1,000	500 – 1,000	500 – 2,000	1,000	500 – 2,000	500 – 2,000
Disk Speed (RPM)	7,200	5,400	5,400	7,200	5,400	5,400	4,800	7,200	7,200	7,200
Sustained Data Transfer Rate (MB/s)	480	100	120	136	640	480	450	640	640	800
Warranty (Years)	3	1	2	3	3	3	3	3	3	3

Mac External Hard Drive Buying Guide

When it comes to finding the right external hard drive for your Mac, you have a lot of options out there. When looking for the right solution, you need to consider how much data you have to store, and whether you have multiple computers that are connected to your home network. You also need to take into account backup speed, the sensitivity of our data, how good you are with computers, and the physical size of the drive. This is going to effect the portability.

How Much Storage Do You Need?

It’s possible to spend up to $200 on a 2 terabyte drive, or even $300 for a 4TB model, but having all that space may not be necessary for you. You basically want to get the largest drive that you can afford, because this will allow you to store all your data for years to come. Keep in mind that your storage is going to accumulate, but it’s about knowing how much data you really have on a consistent basis.

You for sure want to get a drive that has at least the same amount of storage as your computer’s hard drive. The physical size of the drive is another consideration, especially if you want it to be portable. Should you need to take your backup with you, then you want to make sure that it’s small enough to carry.

How Fast Should it Be?

The speed of the external hard drive is another consideration that you need to take into account. Some people think that online storage options are a good idea but the problem is that they’re really too slow. Sometimes after your first backup it can take almost days to complete the next one, and that’s why an external hard drive offers you a faster solution. This makes it quick and easy to store music, videos, and images in a flash. Keep in mind that installation of the drive is going to require a little bit of technical know-how. Once you learn the ropes, you’re going to see that an external hard drive is a great alternative to all other forms of storage.

How Many Computers Do You Have?

This is something you definitely need to consider when buying an external hard drive. If you have many computers running on the same network then consider purchasing a network drive that can cover all these devices at once, and helps you to share data that you save. It’s going to take a little more time to figure out the installation, but in the long run it’s the easiest solution. Also, if your computer is placed near a router then connecting it with an Ethernet cable is a smart choice that is going to give you faster speeds. When you have a wired connection it makes it up to 50 times faster than your usual wireless connection.

Are You Good With Computers?

This is going to help determine which drive you purchase. It’s fairly easy to set up a backup, but when you’re not tech savvy it’s important to choose the simplest option. When it comes to going with the handiest choice, and these are thumb drives and optical discs, it’s going to require you to use multiple discs and devices to get the backup done. A good alternative if you know you’re not adept at technology is an external hard drive that runs without software or a drive that does backup at the push of a button.

Supplementing your Software

You can find inexpensive drives that do not require software but they’re a bit short when it comes to features and flexibility. You can even get software that is bundled with other drives, and these have their limitations as well. Often these are not able to back up onto CDs and DVDs. Third-party backup software is going to be quite inexpensive, and sometimes this option is well worth it. Some operating systems come with their own backup software such as Max OS X 10.5, and these will automatically back up everything that you have and they let you restore anything from a single file onto the entire drive.

It’s possible to restore the most recent version of a file that you have modified, and Time Machine in particular makes it easy to do this. The interface of this is quite simple to use, but it does take a little effort to learn the basics of the backup process. Windows 8 also comes with a backup program that has a feature called ‘File History’ that will backup copies of files similar to the way that Mac OS X does it.

Add More Protection

Should your backup and computer live in the same area then your data can be prone to fire, burglary, flood and other problems. If you want your content to be as safe as possible then consider a supplementary backup that is in a different location. This means that your content will always be safe should something happen to your computer.

Types of Backup

There are a number of different backup options, including internal, external, online services, network drives, and thumb devices. You get the fastest backup with an internal drive, but installation of this can be quite complicated. This kind of backup is also susceptible to malware that may infect the primary drive. Optical discs are quite easy to use, but you’re going to need a lot of them, and the discs themselves are prone to wear and tear.

Thumb drives are another good option and they offer higher capacities than optical drives. Keep in mind that it is easy to lose these and they don’t have the same capacity as hard drives. With all the types of backup that you should consider, an external hard drive seems to be the most appealing.

Conclusion

If you’re someone that owns a lot of data then having an external hard drive is a must to ensure that all that data is safe and secure. Most computers just don’t have the storage capacity that people need, and that is why an outside source helps to take the load off your computer while also keeping this data safe in a remote location. There are a lot of external drives out there to choose from, and when you’re looking for a model that is specifically designed for the Mac then you’re going to see that the options almost seem endless. We highlighted the top rated external drives on the market, and these are praised by customers because they deliver solid performance, durability, and are made from the highest quality materials. You can be confident when you purchase one of these models that you’re getting a product that will safely store all your material and will be able to handle ample volume.

The buyer’s guide took it a step further by highlighting the various features that are available to you. When it comes to finding the right drive for you, it’s really about knowing yourself and what you’re looking for. If you’re someone who is not very tech savvy, then it’s smart to go with a simpler option that isn’t going to require as much installation and upkeep. If you’re very good with technology, then you can select one of the more complicated options that is probably going to work faster and more efficiently. No matter what device you choose, you’re going to love the benefit that you get from owning an external hard drive, and the peace of mind that it gives you.

Resources

Mac-Compatible Hard and CD-ROM Drives, Cases - tech info

Directions

This page last updated April 30 2020 but has not had major editing since 2010. This Web page provides a lot more detail about SCSI versus IDE, descriptions of hard drivesand CD-ROM features. If you just want drives to buy and prices, go to this page. Sorry if you have to jump around between pages.

When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA. We will also provide brief instructions when you order.

Introduction

We sell several kinds of hard drives and CD-ROM drives for your Mac. Our drive salespage is at this link. On this page, we provide sometechnical descriptions and discussions. Go to our sales page see our inventory and to get prices for specific items. (We also have a few customers with oldermusic synthesizers or samplers: check this section for details.

We sell drives, but we don't offer 'how to install' instructionsor technical assistance beyond the notes on our Web site. You can check our brief tech notes if you need a bit of technicalexplanation. But we also suggest you check the Web: the major drivemanufacturers have Web sites with a LOT of info, including some 'how to'information. A Web search for 'SCSI drive install how to' willbe informative. Also a Web search on the drive by manufacturer andmodel name and number will likely find all the tech info on that drive.

If all these selections, terms and features are confusing to you, just explain to me via emailand please tell me what drives you are using orplan to connect to your Mac, and what model Mac you have, and what operatingsystem version. I can describewhat I have. Please note: all offers are subject to availability; askwhat we have in stock but it helps if you can specify your drive needsby price, capacity and/or type of drive.

When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA. We will also provide brief instructions when you order.

• Internal hard drives
• CD-ROM drives and comments

Drive Technical details

Brief Tech Summary

Most older Macs used SCSI hard drives until the G3 and later Macswich used IDE or ATA hard drives. Apple alsoused IDE internal hard drives in some Quadras and Performas. External hard drives are almost all SCSI, not IDE (until the much later FireWire or USB external drives.)A simple way to determine ifa drive is SCSI or IDE is to count the pins on the connector to the large flatcable; SCSI drives have 50 pins, two rows of 25, IDE drives have 40 pins,two rows of 20. Here's a picture of a SCSI hard driveand its connector. Note that all older Macs with CD-ROMS used SCSI CD-ROM drives,even the Macs which also use IDE hard drives.

Most older Macs use a DB-25 connector to external SCSI devices (primarilyhard drives): it is on the back of the computer. Many older externalSCSI devices use aSCSI-1 connector, also called a Centronic 50-pin connector.Here is a typical cable used to connect the two.

Mac Hard Drive External Case

Our internal SCSI drives are compatible with most older Macs, and tested forproper startup, good operation on a Mac, and are Mac initialized (formatted).Most of our external SCSI cabinets are generally low, flat cabinets aboutten inches by ten inches and a few inches tall. Larger cabinets are available.Most of our external drive cabinets have extra AC outlets, so the externaldrive's AC power switch can also switch other AC devices.
Please note: the cabinet is just a box for the drive or CD-ROM;Many of our external SCSI cabinets are not made by Apple but it is the SCSIdrive inside which must be compatible with your Mac.

See the notes below for more discussion of SCSIand IDE drives, termination, the HD 20 series, and other features. Also, most of the images onthis page are linked to larger images, click on them to see more details. If these selections and features areconfusing to you, just explain to me via email what drives you are using or planning toconnect to your Mac, what model Mac you have, and I can describe what I have. Please check our terms and conditions section for our terms of sale.

SCSI drives

A SCSI hard drive is simply a hard drive, with a SCSI interface. That interfacehas a 50-pin flat cable connector on the back of the drive. These drivesare either internal to the Mac, or they are external whichmeans the same drive is put in a case with its own power supply and then thedrive is cabled to the Mac. There is NO DIFFERENCE between the SCSI drives used externallyin an external cabinet, and SCSI drives used internally in your Mac. This is why we offerSCSI hard drives and cases together or seperately, to suit your needs for replacementor upgrade.
External SCSI drives require aSCSI cable to connect to the Mac 25-pin SCSI connector: the drive case haseither a 50-pin SCSI connector, or a 25-pin connector like the driveconnector on most Macs. Cables are available seperately. Also, many externaldrives have a SCSI ID switch to select the SCSI number of the drive withoutopening the case. Otherwise, you need to open the case and change jumperson the drive. But if you only have one SCSI device you will never need tochange its address. Some of these external drives have a fan that can also coola compact Mac when that Mac sits on it: the Mac Bottom is a good example.
A number of manufacturers made external SCSI drives for the Mac. They actuallymade the cabinets

External Hard Drive For Mac

and power supplies; the hard drives themselves weremade by Segate, Quantum, Rodime, and many others. We also sell these drivesseperately: see our internal drive section. Some ofthese cabinets use the same 25-pin connector as the Mac SCSI connector;some use a 50-pin 'Centronics' like connector common to other SCSI systemsand devices. Also, some cabinetshave additional AC outlets that are switched by the drive's AC switch, so youcan turn off additional devices like a printer.
Keep this in mind: almost all external SCSI drives are simply a SCSI drivein a box with power supply. ALL the electronics are in the drive, exceptwhat is needed to convert AC power to the DC power needed for the drive.Since the drive has allthe 'smarts', I can sell a case without a drive if you have an extra drive,ask for details.

IDE drives

An IDE hard drive is simply a hard drive, with an IDE interface. That interfacehas a 40-pin flat cable connector on the back of the drive. These driveswere used for internal drives by Apple on some models of Performa, Quadra, and PowerMac.They were never used in external hard drives, external drives are allSCSI based. Even the Mac models which use IDE internal IDE hard driveswill use SCSI external hard drives. IDE hard drives cannot be'converted' to SCSI drives. Check withyour system docs, Apple's Web site for your Mac model, other on-linereferences, or books to determine what is suited for your model of Mac.

CD-ROM SCSI drives

These CD-ROM drives are tested with Macs, and we include System Extensions on disketteas necessary for drives not of Apple manufacture. System 7 will include CD-ROM extentions for Apple drives; System 7.0 and 7.5.3 are available for download from Apple's Web site, check my Web pointers pagefor references. 'Internal' drives arefor those Macs which have bays for extra drives; you will need cables andpossibly some mechanical parts unless you are replacing a previously-removeddrive and those parts are still intact. 'External'drives are internal drives in cabinets with power supplies, that can be cabledto the external SCSI connector on your Mac.
Some of these drives require a caddy, which is a plastic box that youinsert the CD-ROM disk into, then the caddy goes into the drive. 'Caddyless'drives have a tray that pops out of the drive, you lay the CD disk ontothe tray and press a button to retract the tray into the drive.

SCSI Termination

A SCSI terminator may be used on external drives to reduce noise on the SCSI cable bus. You can get these as a small external device that connects to the 50-pin SCSI connector on an external drive.

Older hard drives can otherwise have optional terminatingresistors on them, which can be removed if more drives are added to a SCSIsystem. These terminating resistors are two or three little resistor packs withseveral (8 to 11) 'legs', located near the SCSI connector on the circuit boardof the hard drive. These are called 'SIP resistor packs', and are of a specific resistance value. If they are not there, you may have a row of little socket pins.

Newer hard drives have what is called 'active termination'. The terminationis NOT a set of resistors, it is circuitry on the drive which must be'disabled' or 'enabled' via a jumper block. There is typically a jumper positionon the drive labled 'term enable': leave the jumper ON to enable termination,OFF to disable it.

If you use the drive as the ONLY driveon a SCSI cable (internal or external), or at the END of that cable,then the terminator on the drive must be enabled or installed. If you use thisdrive with other drives on a cable and it is NOT at the end of the cable,the terminator must be disabled or removed.

More info about drive jumpers can generally be found by a Web search forthat brand and model drive: most manufacturers provide data sheets online. Also see my 'drives' sales page about 'jumpers'.

Note on Mac Plus and SCSI: Mac Plus drives must use 'passive termination'on SCSI drives. The Plus has no internal hard drive, but has a SCSI controllerand the Apple DB-25 SCSI external connector. The last device on the 'chain' of SCSI devices must have a passive or resistive termination. As noted above, these are often SIP resistor packs, which can be added or removed. The reported issues about this, range from intermittant problems to physical damage from DC power (for the active terminator).

SCSI connectors

Hard drive SCSI addressing

The SCSI address of the drive is set by three jumpers locations. A jumperis a pair of pins on which a little device is placed, typically a very smallblack cube, which shorts the two pins together. SCSI drives inside the Macare typically set at address zero, which is no jumpers. External drivesare usually at address 2 or 3 or 4. A jumper placed in the center of thethree jumpers will set the address to 2.

Many external SCSI drives have a SCSI address switch. This is usually adevice with numbers that change when you press a button. These numbers,0 through 7, are SCSI addresses. This switch must be connected to the SCSIdrive via a cable to a connector. There is no standard for this connector,different models of SCSI drives have different ways to make this connection. It may be easier to use jumpers to set the SCSI drive to one address, than toaccomodate the SCSI selector switch. For many users, they set the SCSI addressonce and forget about it, usually to address 1, 2, 3 for external drives.(Internal SCSI drives are always set to address 0.)

Do you have a SCSI accessory that tells you what devices areat what SCSI address, and does it see the drive? System 6 had a simpleone that showed a table of all SCSI devices and the CPU at address 7.Make sure of course the drive is not set to SCSI address 7!

jumpers for SCSI addressing, other feature selections

See my 'drives' sales page about 'jumpers'. There's specific information and photos about the 'jumpers' used on SCSI drives for SCSI addressing or other selection of features.

Hard drive sounds

When you start up the hard drive, you should hear it 'spin up' and comeup to speed. After starting up, you can hear the drive 'seeking' whenit moves the drive heads back and forth. These actions occur even if the drive ispowered up without a computer connected to it. But the drive will not do further 'seeking' after powering up without a computer running it.

It may be hard to hear the drive overthe fan inside the computer. If your drive is not working, you may be able todetermine it is the problem if you don't hear the drive spin up.

Buying hard drives, other drives

Mac HARD DRIVES, CD-ROM drives and other drives are sold on this linked Web page.
This page has terms and conditions for ordering, payment, etc.
...and back to the Mac stuff Home page.

I have internal hard drives available for the Mac, from 80Mb to a few Gigabytes. They fit inside your Mac and hold files and folders and programs; don't confusehard drives with memory. The older Macs use SCSI internal hard drives,the more recent Macs use IDE or EIDE hard drives: knowwhat YOUR Mac uses before you order. If you need some explanation about 'SCSI'or 'IDE', please check my brief Tech notes.All SCSI drives have a 50-pin flat cable connectorl the IDE drives use 40 pins.)These hard drives measure 4 inches wide, about 6inches long, and about an inch tall (unless noted) and are generally called'3.5 inch drives'. Laptops use smaller '2.5 inch' drives, checkmy Mac laptop section for stocks of those.

Internal Mac-formatted SCSI hard drives

I have internal SCSI hard drives available for the Mac, from 80Mb to a few Gigabytes. They fit inside your Mac or in an external SCSI drive cabinet. (If you need some explanation about 'SCSI', please check my brief Tech notes.All SCSI drives have a 50-pin flat cable connector.)

Shipping weight 2 lbs for one drive, add one pound peradditional drive. '1.5 inch tall' drives are a little taller physically;some Macs don't have the extra space needed but most do. We pricethem a little lower but they can perform well. All drives are tested andformatted on Mac equipment, we may be able to test them on YOUR model if you inform us.Some older Macs may not work with more recent SCSI drives above about 500MB,because newer drives use 'SCSI active termination'; ask for details.All drives subject to availability but we have good stocks of drives below1GB.
Some Macs require a sled or bracket to attach the hard driveto the Mac cabinet. Specify your Mac model and we can generally identifywhat you may need to attach and connect the drive. Check my sled and caddy section for prices and descriptions.But if you are replacing an internal drive, you can reuse thathardware and cabling.

Prices and sizes of SCSI internal drivesare on another page.

Internal Mac-formatted IDE drives

I have internal IDE or EIDE hard drives available for the Mac. (If you need someexplanation about 'IDE', please check my brief Tech notes.All IDE drives have a 40-pin flat cable connector.) These drives fit inside your Mac.

Shipping weight 2 lbs for one drive,add one pound per additional drive. All drives are tested andformatted on Mac equipment, we may be able to test them on YOUR model if you inform us.Some Macs require a sled or bracket to attach the hard driveto the Mac cabinet. Specify your Mac model and we can generally identifywhat you may need to attach and connect the drive. Check my sled and caddy section for prices and descriptions. But if you are replacingan internal drive, you can reuse that hardware and cabling and sled. If youwant a specific brand and model number of drive, we charge an additional$5, of course assuming we have that particular drive in stock.

Prices and sizes of IDE internal drivesare on another page.

Sleds, rails, brackets for internal drives

Prices and types of sleds, rails, etc.are on another page. Check there and specify your Mac model when you order.Check the info below if you are not sure what these are.
PLEASE SPECIFY a Mac computer model when ordering these, not an Apple part number.

When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.

SCSI connectors

CD-ROM drives information

The CD-ROM drives I sell are used, tested, and pulled from other Macs. The internaldrives are intended to be replacement drives and do not include cables,mechanical parts, and additional OS system CD-ROM extensions - I sell someof those seperately. ExternalCD-ROM drives will need a SCSI cable and generally a SCSI terminator,which we can provide at additional cost. Prices for CD-ROM drives, caddy or caddies,and trays to hold the drives are listed on my drives Web page.

Some of the older CD-ROM drives require a caddy, which is a plastic box that youinsert the CD-ROM disk into, then the caddy goes into the drive. Here's one ofthose caddy-supporting CD-ROM drives. 'Caddyless'drives have a tray that pops out of the drive, you lay the CD disk ontothe tray and it retracts into the drive.

CD-ROM caddies are priced on another page. You do not need caddies with tray-type CD-ROM drives.

Because some early Macs used CD-ROM drives with either caddies or trays, some Macs have differentcase panels or bezels, with slots of different sizes to accomodate either a caddy-drive or a tray-drive. Here's a photo of two PowerMac 7100 bezels, one for each type of CD-ROM drive.The wider-slot is for the tray; the narrow slot is for a caddy.

The speed of a CD-ROM drive is described as a multiple of the speed ofan audio CD: '2x' means twice as fast, '8X' eight times as fast, etc.For many older Macs, an older or slower CD-ROM drive is adequate; many of these Macsdo not have the performance or features to take advantage of faster CD-ROM drives. Note:the Apple CD150 external drives (1X speed) may not provide audio via the SCSI connector to your Mac;these drives are probably best used with Compact Macs and other older Macs without extensiveaudio capabilities.

Apple used the following SCSI external CD-ROM models, with CD-ROM drives inside them.
Don't be confused. The drive case has a model name; the CD-ROM drive inside has a brand and model too.
for the CDSC: Sony CDU-8001 caddy-based CD-ROM drives
for the CD SC+: Sony CDU-8002 caddy-based CD-ROM drives
for the CD150 (1x): Sony CDU-8002, Sony CDU-541-25 caddy-based CD-ROM drives
For the CD300 or 300i (2X): Matshita CR-8004; Sony CR-503C, Sony CR-503K;
- also Sony CDU-561-25 AKA CDU-8003 caddy-based CD-ROM drives.
for the CD600 or 600i (4X): Sony CDU-75S with an internal tray.
for the CD300e: ?
for the CD600e: ?
for the CD300 plus: ?
for the CD600 plus: ?
I have not identified every internal drive for each Apple external CD-ROM model. Sorry.

If you are upgrading a Mac with a faster CD-ROM drive, please note that System 7 onlyrecognizes a limited number of Apple drive models. CD-ROM drives such as the 8X or 12X drives were sold AFTER System 7, and so these drives may not be recognized as 'Apple' drives by System7. There are some 'aftermarket' or 'third party' software programs which allow Macs to use non-Apple drives,including packages which were sold with drives by other companies. Those software packages MAY, orMAY NOT, recognize the later Apple drives. There was an article about Apple's CD-ROM supportin 'C't Magazine' years ago; as of Sept 2005 a copy of that article is on this Web site. The article isby Andreas Beier, 'The MacOS & third-party CD- and DVD-ROM drives'.

Prices and sizes of internal CD-ROM drivesare on another page.

Prices and sizes of external CD-ROM drivesare on another page.

CD-ROM caddies are priced on another page. You do not need these with tray-type CD-ROM drives.

Here's an older Apple product: AppleCD SC model M2850 is apparently anearly Apple external CD drive. It uses the Sony CDU-8001 or 8002 drive. It requires a caddy but is older and larger than the CD150 above. I have a few of these: check ourMac collectables section for details.

Follow this link for SCSI cables.

Apple Mac Hard Drive

IOMEGA ZIP drives

Iomega ZIP drives are on another Web page. We have external and internal ZIP drives of many kinds.

The last several years (2014) have been the last use of ZIP drives. I've been asked about ZIPdrives versus CD-writing drives so much, I wrote something up.Here's some 'advice' about ZIP and CD-ROM drives.

External Hard drives are SCSI hard drives in an external cabinet, which need a cable toconnect to your SCSI drive connector on your Mac. (An exception isthe Apple HD20 as described below.) We have Apple brand and non-Apple brand drivesbut all are Mac compatible. See thetechnical details page for more discussion if necessary,

When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.

Apple brand external hard drives

Apple brand HD20 and HD20 SC drives are described on this Web page. Prices and conditions for the HD20 and HD20 SC are alllisted in my collectables section.

External SCSI-1 hard drives: non-Apple brands

We have a variety of non-Apple brand external SCSI hard drives; we have some stocks of a fewmodels, and some are one-of-a kind. All are Mac compatible. TheMac drives page lists a few we keep in stock by brand, model, capacityand prices.

Mac Mini Hard Drive Case

External SCSI-1 hard drive cases

I have a number of various small and large external SCSI drive cabinets,These have some of the features of our complet external SCSI drives but theyare one-of-a-kind, sold with tested and working power supplies, and in acceptable or bettercosmetic condition. Some have open fronts for CD-ROM drives, some are closedand for holding 'internal' SCSI drives of the common '5.25' inch size.

When ordering, please follow this link forordering information, terms and conditions, and info aboutorders outside the USA.

External SCSI drive, 25-pin connector, no AC outlets

Check my drives sales page to see if I have any external SCSI drives with a DB-25 connector on them. Some of the oldest external SCSI drivesused that connector. Otherwise obtain an external drive with SCSI-1 connector and use a SCSI-1 to DB-25 cable to your Mac.

SCSI-2 cabinets, drives

Mac External Hard Drive On Windows 10

note: my SCSI-2 cabinet list has been moved tomy SGI/Sun/DEC Web page.

Music samplers, synthesizers

We discuss Roland sampler use of Apple SCSI drives on another Web page. Some of thosesamplers also use Apple CD-ROM SCSI drives. I can't test drives on a sampler but I test drives on Mac computers.

Apple HD 20 (floppy connected) hard drive

Apple brand HD20 and HD20 SC drives are described on this Web page. Prices and conditions for the HD20 and HD20 SC are alllisted in my collectables section.
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