Now, I've never found the vertically installed, super slim drives to be reliable in fact, I've had several replaced (free of charge) and have used a FW external LaCie burner for many years, but the point is that many movies, music, and software are still sold on disks. Sorry, I'm going to disagree here - what is the "footprint" reduction on an iMac obtained after eliminating the side slot?
That reason alone was probably a good reason to finally eliminate the drive.
If I decide I like the majority of an album, I usually still purchase the physical CD and import into iTunes.Īs for DVDs on a Mac, regardless of legal issues, I still have DVD movies that I will just convert and put on my Mac as I am not going to pay, yet again, for a downloadable digital copy of that movie with all sorts of restrictions about what I can do with it once I download it.Ībout the only the reason I agree about the SuperDrive's removal is that being mounted in the iMac in the vertical position, the SuperDrive was much more prone to early failures. I only use ITunes to purchase music when I do not purchase the whole album. Also, I still buy the occasional album on CD as I like the idea of owning a music disc that I own that I can still use and import music and be allowed to do as I wish with it. Not everyone has Apple products or mobile to just stream and watch the video or movie from or be able to connect to a large screen TV.Īnd to tell the truth, I still create and burn music CDs for my car as CDs are much better sound quality than my iPod Touch connected by FM transmitter device. Regular DVD movies are even cheaper, now.Īnd most users who do real work and projects still need either CD/DVD media to burn to store work on.Įsspecially, finished movie/video projects that you need to have a on a DVD to watch on a large screen TV. That maybe the best reason to get rid of CDs only, but DVDs are still very much alive. I've been around Apple long enough, I remember each time they eliminate something, people complain, and then the rest of the industry gets rid of it too. I'm starting to run out of even minor reasons to get a Super Drive. The only DVD's I purchase for watching are BluRay Discs, which aren't easy to watch on a Mac anyways, and most now have iTunes downloads sold with them, so I get a digital copy for when I want to watch on my iPad. And I've got some powerful software running. I've had my iMac 27" for about a month, and still haven't had a really good reason pop up to get a Super Drive. And if you need it, you spend $79 to get it.
Apple made a choice to reduce the footprint of the iMac while increase specs by removing things that add cost but don't add value for purchasers. Music and video is mostly purchased from vendors like iTunes or Amazon.
You store the unlock keys in the Keychain or a Password app. Most software is downloadable, and frankly that's safer. People just aren't buying software on DVD/CD's anymore. The on/off button is on the back of the panel, you just need to depress it for a second or so.Īs for the Super Drive DVD/CD, the world is changing.