AppleCD 300e Plus
| AppleCD 300e Plus | |
|---|---|
 |
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| AppleCD 300e Plus (Stephen Edmonds, CC BY-SA 2.5 AU) | |
| Manufacturer | Apple Computer, Inc. |
| Type | External double-speed SCSI CD-ROM drive |
| Release date | 1994 |
| Interface | SCSI-2, two 50-pin connectors |
| Compatible | Macintosh SE or later with System 6.0.7 or later; Power Macintosh |
| Dimensions | 5.9 × 15.8 × 32.3 cm (2.32 × 6.22 × 13.1 in) (data sheet) |
| Weight | 2.60 kg (5.73 lb) (data sheet) |
| Model | M2918LL/A |
| Power | 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz, 0.28 A maximum |
| Storage | 656 MB (Mode 1), 748 MB (Mode 2) per disc |
| Media | 8 cm or 12 cm CD-ROM, Photo CD or audio CD in a powered tray |
The AppleCD 300e Plus is Apple's external double-speed CD-ROM drive of 1994, a tray-loading SCSI drive sold alongside the internal AppleCD 300i Plus.[1] It replaced the caddy of the AppleCD 300 with a powered tray, takes 8 cm discs as well as 12 cm ones and has a 256K cache.[1][2] The listed title AppleCD 300e redirects here: Apple's documents for this drive call it the AppleCD 300e Plus.
Specifications
[edit | edit source]| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Average access time (1/3 stroke) | 360 ms normal speed; 290 ms double speed |
| Data-streaming rate | Normal: Mode 1 150K/s, Mode 2 171K/s; double: Mode 1 300K/s, Mode 2 342K/s |
| SCSI burst rate | 2.5 MB/s (over one block) |
| Buffer | 256K |
| Media | 8 cm or 12 cm disc in a powered tray |
| Formats | Multisession Kodak Photo CD, ISO 9660/High Sierra, Macintosh HFS, CD-ROM XA, CD+G, CD+I, CD+MIDI, audio CD, CD digital audio export over SCSI |
| Connections | Two SCSI-2 50-pin connectors; stereo RCA audio outputs; headphone jack and volume control on the front |
| Power | 100-240 V AC, 50/60 Hz; 0.28 A maximum |
| Operating environment | 5-40 °C; 5-90% RH non-condensing |
Apple's Service Source gives different figures for some of these. It lists the access time as 410 ms at normal speed and 295 ms at double speed, and prints the physical size and weight of the AppleCD 150 (4.9 × 17.75 × 32.5 cm, 2.9 kg) where the data sheet gives 5.9 × 15.8 × 32.3 cm and 2.60 kg, the same as the AppleCD 600e. The data sheet and the photographs of the drive agree on the 600e-style case.[2][1] The 410 ms figure also appears in Apple's guide for the internal 300i Plus.[3]
The data sheet asks for a Macintosh SE or later with System 6.0.7 or later and a separate SCSI system or peripheral cable, and says the drive also works with other computers that have a SCSI interface, including IBM PC compatibles and UNIX workstations.[1]
Hardware
[edit | edit source]Apple serviced the drive as three modules: the top case, the CD-ROM drive assembly and the enclosure with its power supply.[2] The mechanism is a Matsushita unit. llamamusic.com lists a Matsushita CR-503-K in the AppleCD 300e, and Herb Johnson's Retrotechnology reports a Matsushita CR-8004 in the 300e Plus.[4][5] The data sheet lists automatic lens cleaning among the drive's features.[1]
Maintenance and faults
[edit | edit source]The 300e Plus shares its Service Source, case and module breakdown with the AppleCD 600e. Care, the take-apart steps and Apple's symptom chart for both drives are on the AppleCD 600e General Maintenance and AppleCD 600e Troubleshooting Guide pages. The Service Source has no schematic or component list.[2]
Documentation
[edit | edit source]- AppleCD 300e Plus/600e Service Source
- AppleCD 300e Plus and 600e Documentation: the March 1994 data sheet for the 300e Plus and 300i Plus, and the 1995 AppleCD 600e product sheet.
Related pages
[edit | edit source]- AppleCD 600e
- AppleCD 300i (the internal 300i Plus)
- AppleCD 300
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Apple Computer, AppleCD 300e Plus and AppleCD 300i Plus data sheet, L00318C, March 1994, hosted as File:AppleCD 300e Plus and 300i Plus Data Sheet (1994).pdf. p. 1 features (double speed, 290 ms, 256K cache, SCSI-2, 2.5 MB/s burst, powered tray, headphone jack and volume control on the external model, automatic lens cleaning); p. 2 technical specifications and ordering information.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Apple Computer, AppleCD 300e Plus/600e Service Source, hosted as File:Applecd 300e plus-600e.pdf (see AppleCD 300e Plus/600e Service Source). Specifications pp. 1-10 (PDF pp. 3-12); Troubleshooting pp. 1-3 (PDF pp. 14-16); Take Apart (PDF pp. 18-25); Exploded View (PDF p. 27).
- ↑ Apple Computer, AppleCD 300i Plus User's Guide (1994), Appendix, Specifications, p. 61 (PDF p. 70), hosted as File:AppleCD 300i Plus User's Guide (1994).pdf.
- ↑ llamamusic.com, "Roland SCSI CD-ROM compatibility matrix", llamamusic.com/s50s550/Roland_CD_Mechanisms.html (retrieved 4 October 2026). Internal mechanisms of the AppleCD 150, 300e and 600e.
- ↑ Herb Johnson, "Mac Hard and CD-ROM Drives, Technical info", Retrotechnology, retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/m_scsi.html (retrieved 4 October 2026).