My condolences to the OP. I think Apple has done a brilliant marketing job in that they have convinced their buyers and users that if you come with us, you will be immune from the worries and cares of computerdom. Oh, and then there's the hip factor too, layered on top. Apple products are no better, nor worse than PC's. They have the same frailties, defects, recalls and bad <deleted> that happens to the other camp (just not so publicized due to limited market share). The user interface is slick and seamless; lots of little synchronicity features that warm the cockles of the heart, etc. Because there have been so relatively few of them, they haven't been as much a target of malware, spyware and other bad <deleted>. That is changing now that the iPhone/iPad boom has expanded exponentially worldwide in the last few years. The only real difference is that they cost about 30-70% higher than a comparable PC. And you can't just go on the market and order a replacement part (such as in your case) from dozens of competitive manufacturers and vendors like a PC. Has to come from the Main Temple of Worship, for double tariff. For 8K THB, you could buy a brand new EEE PC or Acer netbook, with an included external optical drive (or CD player as you termed it). This is exactly why I have avoided Apple products my whole life. (Oh, BTW I was good friends with Apple co-founder Steven Wozniak. We both went to Cupertino Junior High School and Homestead High School together. Steve Jobs was a freshman at Homestead the year I graduated). This is not intended as a diatribe against Apple- they really do make a fine product and are currently the second largest company in the world, by market capitalization. I hope you get your optical drive replaced in a timely manner.

Methinks you're just holding a grudge. For one reason or another. Maybe because you once knew Woz? Who knows.

It's too boring to disprove the "cost myth" that Apple haters like to maintain - show me the proof they're 30%-70% more expensive; given Apple's own profit margins are less than 30% I think it's somewhat unlikely

iPhone and iPads have nothing to do with Macs, and nothing to do with Mac viruses? Surely you know that?

Dante99. I should have referred to my guarantee as an "extended warranty." I purchased a three year extended warranty when I bought my Apple. One of my repairs was for a wireless keyboard, so I did not take the computer (or the computer serial number) with me. I never saw them make any kind of online check for the serial number, but they may have. Anyway, they could not repair the keyboard so I got a new one free of charge.

Troll post removed.

This problem once happened to me, but finally after much searching on the net i found a solution. However i cannot remember how i did it!

So, can anyone say how they have managed to get a disk ejected that the mac is not apparently recognising is in it? I saw one poster saying they restarted their computer and kept pressing the eject button on the keyboard. Any other methods? Because reading this thread it appears my problem was not an isolated one.

Try

'Mac DVD eject problems'

Brings up a whole page of sources.

john

Try the new used Mac store up Huay Gaew Road and past Dunkin Donuts. (Just about 500 meters before the main CMU gate.) Their costs are about half the retail outlets. I finally bought a new battery for my old MacBook and their service was very good.

Do you happen to know if that used Mac store buys Macs as well? I have an older 15" Mac Book Pro that I need to get rid of.

-Mestizo

They do indeed buy old Macs and other Apple hardware.

Thanks very much TDog, very helpful information.

just get an inexpensive external drive. More and more new laptops and Ipads for sure don't have optical drives at all.

Everybody uses the same drives and they are problematic. Really just the new floppy drive.

Get a good internet connection and its hardly needed. I have a MacBook pro bought last year and I don't think I have used the drive yet.

I'm not a mac user but I don't understand how a good internet connection replaces an optical drive??? I always need to save Photoshop files and large sound files, etc. and burn DVD's, make copies, etc. I would be lost without my (2) optical drives.

USB sticks or SD memory cards mostly fill that function, of saving very large files on to some medium so that you can move the file physically somewhere. The 'good internet connection' means that most files (all but the really large ones) you can send through the internet, or upload to some cloud-based account. And of course it means that you don't need to buy DVDs anymore; all content can be downloaded.

That said, I do have a DVD player for my TV at home, and I often burn cartoons and other stuff for the kids so they can watch it on the TV screen. I know that could also be achieved with some set-top box but I don't have one. (And if I wait a little longer then all TVs will come with WiFi and plenty storage built in.)

The shop on Hauy Keaw spelled "authorized" incorrectly on their sign. Makes me question if they are authorized or not.