Reader Question: Can I Use Mini CDs in my iMac?

A reader recently posted an interesting question in the About: Macs forums that I would like to share with all readers.

Q. I recently purchased a USB-based Bluetooth device for my iMac. The software for the product was provided on a Mini CD. Can I use this Mini CD with my iMac’s vertical CD drive?

A. Mini CDs are 80mm (approximately three-inch) CDs that were originally used to distribute audio singles, the digital equivalent of old 45 rpm vinyl records. They never really caught on.

A second version of the Mini CD is often referred to as a business card CD. Business card CDs are rectangular affairs that resemble standard business cards and can be played in standard CD drives to retrieve the information they contain.

The answer in this case, though, is a definite: Don’t do it! Slot-loading CD/DVD drives can have problems with these smaller CDs. Specifically, they can get jammed in the insert/eject mechanism, resulting in an expensive repair job or the need to replace the drive. Using a Mini CD with a tray-loading desktop Mac shouldn’t present any problems, but trying to use it with an iMac, notebook, or Mac Mini may be a recipe for disaster.