I'm an end user...and an extremely HAPPY end user now that they've done away with ODDs on the rMBP and iMac. The less 'moving' parts, the better. Less noise, less chance of a repair (ODDs are notorious for breaking earlier than most other internal AIO components)...and $30 for an excellent external drive is very cheap. You just have a single USB cord to the computer. Doesn't 'take away' aesthetically from the look. In fact, there are plenty of 3rd party 'racks' you can add to the back of your iMac if you don't like the look. More and more digital content is being delivered OTA...I run a music and video production business...I'm definitely still using optical media for costumer delivery on occasion. However, more often than not--we are using Thumb drives for delivery as they are cheap, sturdy and ubiquitous.
I imagine the noise would be minimal unless you were using it. And I have never personally had issues with optical drives breaking. If I was to purchase a so called all in one, an external drive does defeat the purchase and effects the aesthetics of the entire look. At some point I likely can accept it for laptops, not desktops, those need blu-ray drives as well.
I prefer usb flash drives myself, I currently own zero software on CD/DVD because I rather it be digital or USB.
YOU want a rMBP with optical option. Don't group the masses into your opinion.
Not saying all or even a huge group of people, they do exist and some people will not purchase one because of it. One point would be, who would really avoid the retina Macbook because it had an optical drive and blu-ray vs though who avoid it because it does not? Being more functional is hardly a bad thing. If I had my way I would want a retina Macbook Pro with blu-ray drive, install OSX, Windows 7, touch screen along with wacom and pressure sensitive. It would give me the best of every world.
The MBA is a monster seller for Apple (Intel invested $300mil into Windows Ultrabook marketing after realizing the success of the MBA). Windows machines and AIOs are also following suit. Not all...but many. If you have a TV and laptop (Mac or PC)--buy yourself an Apple TV, ROKU box, WD Live box...lots of < $100 options on the market to wirelessly stream from laptop to TV. This IS the way technology is going. If you've recently (in the past two years) visited a Best Buy...you'll see the meager selection of optical media. CDs are almost non-existent (other than new releases)---DVDs are going the way of the DoDo and BluRay...again, other than New Releases---the sections in B&M stores are becoming smaller and smaller. Blu-Ray releases now also contain a DVD copy and digital/UV copy for D/L to your computer. The movie/music studios are following suit.
I believe the biggest issue I have with the movement is prices, I tend to be okay with music prices yet movies are far too costly, the rentals are basically what I would pay for digital downloads in HD. And I can still get better quality on the used market. I love digital when done in a manner I like, hundreds of books, songs, comics, movies etc... in something the size of a small book is highly appealing. (with backups)
I'm a HUGE music aficionado. I've got over 5,000 vinyl records at home...and 4 turntables. I use a tube pre-amp for both my phono stage and digital front end...I love uncompressed, analog recordings. There are plenty of ways to do what you're looking for...but technology moves forward. These new iMacs have shaved almost 50% of their weight by releasing ODDs inside.
This is an issue for me as I am trying to have one device do everything, this is something most do not care about and I know that. People want a blu-ray? They toss it in their blu-ray player on their large HDTV. I imagine in part to the OOD, the new design along gave it a bit less weight, normally that is not something people worried about, saving a pound or two on a desktop.
Based on how I am talking you would think I would have the huge music, movie collection, I moved away from CDs, still have movies because they are cheap. (As in under a couple dollars) I do like having some degree of uncompressed music, however I likely will not have the equipment that can really use it well anytime soon.
This is a major weight savings and an intelligent move to mitigate ODD repairs internally.
That is valid based on the design of the system.
Again, as mentioned earlier in the thread---don't like it, don't buy it.
In this case that is not something I buy in to, because I want to like it, I want options, they would have more sales if they gave people options instead of telling people what they want.
They're not going to change their strategy for a 'few' folks that don't like it. The masses HAVE moved to digital delivery and reception. iTunes and music rental services ala Spotify have changed the way music is received, listened to and stored.
I still believe they can have options, they just want people to use iTunes. I will see how I feel in five years, even now I am moving to were monthly streaming can be enough for tv shows, movies etc.. because it can be good enough, really do not need to own everything.
It's the future---Cassettes, Vinyl, Tape/R2R, 8 Track...and now CD, they're going away. It's a fact and if you don't care for it, look elsewhere. It's an easy decision. The weight savings and size differences when you subtract the ODD is significant---as are the costly repairs for Apple when the ODD breaks internally in an AIO or rMBP. Solid State is where technology is going. Take a sh** or get off the pot. No one is mandating you update to a product you don't care for. And I'd venture to guess the majority or folks these days are using those ODDs less and less as time moves forward. Again---one only needs to take a peak at the retailers that sell physical media.
I will give it the repair cost savings, not much on the weight as it is a desktop and most customers have never cared about that. (Laptops, yes, desktops, questionable depending on the size) I can say for myself that I would love to rent films in HD from my computer, quick and easy, however if over two dollars it is not going to happen. Yet I do love the concept.
More then happy to move away from cassettes, VHS etc.. never liked those formats.
Just a quick edit--the same is going on with physical distribution of software. Adobe announced within the last 48 hours that THEY are done with physical disc distribution. They ARE passing the savings along to the consumer as well!!!
That is a first, most companies just kept charging the same price for something we have no control over.
I'm a long time Adobe Master suite user (PS/AE/Premier/In Design specifically). The Master collection has always been $2800---today, with the 'Creative Cloud', I'm paying $30 a month for ALL of the programs included in the M/C. Look at Aperture in the MacApp store---$79 bucks!!! It was always a couple hundred dollars (or more) in the physical box. Without shipping and packaging, I do TRULY believe the big companies ARE passing the savings along to us--the 'End User'
Some companies and maybe software, movies are still insanely expensive. Those do sound like much better deals. Thirty a month makes it much easier to use and stay updated. ($2,800 is a lot to toss out at one time)
Even with everything I have said, I sometimes wonder why it is so important to worry about trade, selling, giving away etc.. when it comes to media, if I buy a game for ten dollars I am okay with digital because it would never have any real value, twenty dollars? Maybe. Even if it was retail, by the time I would want to sell it (if at all) it likely would hard limited value and there would be little point. Out of all monthly costs, rent, power, internet, phone, food etc... that there is no return on other then said service, I wonder why I would worry so much about the possible return on fifty dollars of entertainment media. It feels so small based on everything else that it bought monthly.
I still think it was a good idea to remove the drive in Apple's recent macs. Most people hardly ever use them and when they do having a superdrive is not a problem. It's slick, small, nice looking and it works great, not to mention when it breaks down all you have to do is replace it instead of one inside your mac.
Just based on the ridiculousness of adding an external optical drive to a desktop machine alone is enough to make me avoid it, personal preferences and all. I have never had an optical drive break down on any computer I have owned.
