TCAS wrote:VEFF wrote:I'm looking forward to trying this unit out.
I bought a rebadged NEC 3500A (i.e. Mad Dog) for only $44 INCLUDING TAX after $30 rebate and $30 off $100 coupon today.
Couldn't resist the deal...
I had been looking at the PX-716A, but I figured it wasn't worth double to me, especially since I will be getting a faster (8X Dual Layer write speed) burner in 2005 anyway and selling the Mad Dog at that time.
Any firmware tips? I know Mad Dog's version is not as up to date.
Can I flash it to an official NEC ND-3500A?
There are several modded f/w for this drive in CDFreaks.com that they are based on Maddog or NEC stock f/w on NEC Forum. Upgrading to any of these modded f/w with (RipLock Removed, RPC1, Write Strategy) you can improve your writer performance. As for the $30 rebate if the rebate is from Maddog then you would be better off to consider that you bought the drive for $77 which still is not bad for the retail version of repackage of NEC-3500.
Thanks for the details on the modded types available; that is just what I was looking for.
Yes, you're right:
Considering newegg raised prices on the 3500A and DVR-108 and that they now charge tax + shipping; the price I paid before rebate (just over $74 not $77) is not bad, as you stated, especially for the retail version.
I originally thought it was a store and not mfr rebate, although after ordering I found out that it is apparently a mfr rebate.
I am confident that I will get the rebate, since I got $100 and $50 owed on QPS and Cyberdrive promotions AFTER both companies went bankrupt.
CompUSA and OfficeMax came through...
I have also received rebates from firms like Buslink.
It sometimes took some calls, but for the most part I have not had too many problems and am batting 100% on rebates the past two and a half years.
OfficeMax is pretty good about resolving things though - they honored a CyberDrive $50 mfr rebate a few years ago when CyberDrive went belly up and left stores holding the bag, so to speak...
People have reported that MadDog rebates take as long as 3 mths but they do come eventually, which is all I care about...