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New Mac Mini - No Optical Drive
- Thread starter haruhiko
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I use it a lot so this part is disappointing. Another $100 to get one on top of the mini itself.
I'm skipping this one even though the new GPU chip is actually nice.
I'm skipping this one even though the new GPU chip is actually nice.
That's an interesting perspective. I can see Apple wanting you to have an iMac as the central machine, and then your MBA, MBP and/or Mini all look to that as the central disc drive.
I use a 2009 Mac Mini server every day (you know the first one without the optical drive). I never miss the optical drive and the few times that I needed it (when I installed OSX 10.6 non-server and installed iWork), I just shared the drive from my iMac.
Also you do all realize you can use ANY USB optical drive? Including the < $30 ones you can get at places like Newegg which means the entry level model now is cheaper than last model:
2010 Entry Level: 699
2011 Entry Level: 599 + 30 (for external optical) = $629
So much faster and cheaper? I think it's a no brainer.
Also you do all realize you can use ANY USB optical drive? Including the < $30 ones you can get at places like Newegg which means the entry level model now is cheaper than last model:
2010 Entry Level: 699
2011 Entry Level: 599 + 30 (for external optical) = $629
So much faster and cheaper? I think it's a no brainer.
No problem here. There are Super Drives in my iMac I could share if I needed to. Picking one up today!!
Really wanting to pick up the $600 mini for a HTPC..
Already have a SuperDrive that I took out of my MacBook pro and replaced with an OptiBay. All I need is the mini...
Must resist..... Cannot resist. Ahhh
Already have a SuperDrive that I took out of my MacBook pro and replaced with an OptiBay. All I need is the mini...
Must resist..... Cannot resist. Ahhh
According to the store info the SuperDrive for the Air does not work with the standard Mac Mini, only the Server model. You think this is a mistake now that all the Mini don't come with a SuperDrive?
It's the Air of desktops.
It seems strange, since the base model can't be upgraded with a second drive. What are they doing with the extra space? The mini has seemed like a great HTPC, especially since the HDMI port was added. Personally, I abandoned physical disks a couple of years ago, so I'm not worried about it, but I guess there must be someone out there still buying DVDs...
It seems strange, since the base model can't be upgraded with a second drive. What are they doing with the extra space? The mini has seemed like a great HTPC, especially since the HDMI port was added. Personally, I abandoned physical disks a couple of years ago, so I'm not worried about it, but I guess there must be someone out there still buying DVDs...
Yeah or they just haven't updated the specs yet seeing as how only the MBA and the Mac Mini Server were the ONLY macs without optical drives until about 5 hours ago.....
I've used super drives with Macbook Pros, iMacs, etc. They work fine but according to the specs they "don't work".
Some people's kids.... If you don't know what you are talking about, DON'T.
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I don't burn DVDs anymore, I rip my movies to the hard drive for storage. It's easier to keep a hard drive full of hundreds of movies than to search shelfs for the one you want to watch.
Love the new "optical drive less" spec, way to go Apple.
The Superdrive is useless anyway, as it doesn't do Bluray. I have an external Bluray drive, which I use with my Mini (mainly to rip disks), and I couldn't be happier.
The Superdrive is useless anyway, as it doesn't do Bluray. I have an external Bluray drive, which I use with my Mini (mainly to rip disks), and I couldn't be happier.
For me the lack of a drive is a mild irritant. I don't watch dvd's but I do buy CD's from time to time when I go out to watch a local band. I know I can just buy an external drive but it is still an annoyance given I buy less than ten CD's a year.
Other than that the new minis look great. i5's and i7's as I figured but I am surprised to see a dedicated graphics card. Haven't seen that in a mini since the G4's.
Other than that the new minis look great. i5's and i7's as I figured but I am surprised to see a dedicated graphics card. Haven't seen that in a mini since the G4's.
I actually like that it doesn't have an optical drive anymore. Less mechanical stuff to go wrong. Plus I was never a fan of slot load drives anyway.
P.S. I own a couple of USB optical drawer load drives I use with my macs..
P.S. I own a couple of USB optical drawer load drives I use with my macs..
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The few times I've used the optical drive on my 2010 mini it's been full of dust and needed to be "de-dustified" before it would read the disc.
The airflow in the 2010 mini seemed to deposit a lot of dust in the optical drive.
The 6 we have in my office at work also need attention once in a while for similar dust issues.
i wonder if that is what is going on with my mini. It takes a while to read disks and other computers don't recognize the disks it makes. I don't make disks very often, and just assumed the drive has gone bad.
I just bought an external DVD writer/BD reader from Amazon for way less than an internal slot loader replacement, so I'll just keep using that if/when I upgrade.
I personally think that lacking on optical drive is drawback. I have lots of software on cd/dvd roms. Downloadable software is great....but what's the first thing I do when I purchase and download a 2.5gb software product? I burn it to DVD to have a hard copy, and file it, rather than let it just eat up my hard drive space. Then I write on the dvd, labeling what software is on it. Can't do that with a thumb drive.
Also when you want to dump some software/media to disc to give to friend/family, blank dvd's are so cheap. I'm not going to have a stack of thumb drives on hand that I can just 'give away' to friends or family.
Also, the mini has been popular as a home theater/media server. Not being able to pop a DVD in to watch a movie kinda removes the mini from that role for a lot of people. It's bad enough that Apple refuses to put blu-rays's in.
Saying "well you can hook up the external dvd-rw drive"......I mean that kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? Having this sleek small all in one computer, and then having this drive dangling off of it.
But, regardless, the market will ultimately decide the utility of internal optical drives.....
Also when you want to dump some software/media to disc to give to friend/family, blank dvd's are so cheap. I'm not going to have a stack of thumb drives on hand that I can just 'give away' to friends or family.
Also, the mini has been popular as a home theater/media server. Not being able to pop a DVD in to watch a movie kinda removes the mini from that role for a lot of people. It's bad enough that Apple refuses to put blu-rays's in.
Saying "well you can hook up the external dvd-rw drive"......I mean that kind of defeats the purpose doesn't it? Having this sleek small all in one computer, and then having this drive dangling off of it.
But, regardless, the market will ultimately decide the utility of internal optical drives.....