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Does anyone HOPE they pull the superdrive from the next MBP revision?

langis.elbasunu

langis.elbasunu

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 19, 2007
115
14
Chicago
I actually do. I would rather they put a single slice toaster in its place than an optical drive.


Do people still use DVDs and if so, what for?


DO you believe that this form of media is becoming obsolete?



White or wheat toast?
 
I use DVDs for nothing other than watching movies I don't own on Blu-ray..

I'm hoping Apple cuts out the optical drives at some point..and eventually make a complete transfer to SSDs.

I love the taste of white toast, but the healthy side of me says wheat..:(
 
Having the optical drive has always been a source of comfort. Once it's removed, I'd be a tad nervous! However, an external optical drive would suffice if needed.

With the Mac App store coming online and flash drives becoming less expensive, software solutions are becoming easier. OS comes on a flash drive and all Apps get downloaded from the store...seams easy enough. Backups using Time Machine...don't see any real reason to keep it.

With AirPlay, seams most will want digital copies of movies so they can port them over to the Big Screen. Personally, I've always bought DVDs and ripped them to iTunes to have both. I'm now leaning more heavily towards purchasing movies straight from iTunes...I never touch the DVD after it's ripped.

Assuming cloud computing becomes more mainstream...the optical drive's days are becoming numbered. Before the switch, I want Light Peak or USB 3.0 standard w/supporting 3rd party hardware devices!

Not sure I want the drive deleted on the next iteration of MBPs, but I believe 2012 would be a good time to make the transition.

Cosmo
 
the sooner the better

I just think an external would suffice just fine these days. We are only holding ourselves back at this point. I havent willingly touched a DVD in a year. Hell, once i watch a movie after a rip or download i typically delete it right away. No need for me to archive it.

I could understand leaving an optical drive if it was bluray but with DVD its basically the equivalent of leaving a floppy drive on there.
 
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It would be great if they offered an option to install a hard drive in the space where the SuperDrive would be, similar to the OptiBay mod. The only time I have used my drive is to install iLife '11 and iWork '09. Hopefully the Mac App Store finally lets me make the leap to no optical drive.
 
I would miss the DVD drive. I watch movies when I travel. I'd much rather see a BTO option to have either battery, DVD drive, or extra HD/SSD in that space.

It would also make it more difficult to update software. Apple isn't going to start allowing downloads of OSx so they will still need the DVD drive for new releases. DVD is still the cheapest physical media for software installs.
 
MAC App store

I think this is the idea steve jobs was trying to put across with a 64GB HD in the MBA. I think he realizes or believes as i do, that multimedia has a more disposable nature than it has had in the past and that the way of cloud computing and streaming media, and also pared down apps are the future.
 
It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if Apple got rid of them. Initially I was against the idea, but I rarely use mine anyway. There's still support for external drives. I don't see Apple removing them yet though. I'd really like Apple to support Blu-ray in one way or another, either through an internal or external drive. I'm sure that will happen though. :rolleyes: The best use of the extra space if Apple did remove the drive I think would be a beefier GPU and maybe a little bigger battery.
 
I use the DVD drive often (using it right now) but I could survive without one. Then again, I'm not planning on buying another Mac for a while.
 
I hate to say it but yeah..I think an external super drive should be included with all MBP's though if they do that. Idk what I would want in place..I'd rather have just one nice big SSD than two to be honest. probably an extended battery or something.
 
I use the SuperDrive for watching DVDs I own. I also listen to classical music and often prefer to purchase CD sets (like Beethoven's Complete Piano Sonatas I got last month) and rip them for use with iTunes, etc. I also archive files to DVD occasionally. I do not want this eliminated.
 
RaceTripper said:
I use the SuperDrive for watching DVDs I own. I also listen to classical music and often prefer to purchase CD sets (like Beethoven's Complete Piano Sonatas I got last month) and rip them for use with iTunes, etc. I also archive files to DVD occasionally. I do not want this eliminated.
Click to expand...

All of those things would still be doable with an external drive.
 
RaceTripper said:
I use the SuperDrive for watching DVDs I own. I also listen to classical music and often prefer to purchase CD sets (like Beethoven's Complete Piano Sonatas I got last month) and rip them for use with iTunes, etc. I also archive files to DVD occasionally. I do not want this eliminated.
Click to expand...

Trust me, I was feeling exactly the same way a few months ago. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize having a cheap external DVD laying around the house would allow me to rip movies/CD and put on iTunes...then take my collection on the road with me.

The downside is not being able to do these things while traveling unless you want to haul the external DVD around. So ask yourself how much you use the DVD drive while traveling. Many people will not want this drive to go away...and I can't say I blame them. Apple would be wise to offer this as a BTO option before making the leap.

I say, once Apple does decide to move in that direction, we will all just adjust naturally and find our own solutions to the problems it may or may not create.

Cosmo
 
CosmoPilot said:
I say, once Apple does decide to move in that direction, we will all just adjust naturally and find our own solutions to the problems it may or may not create.

Cosmo
Click to expand...

This is do true. All that seems so vital now will be forgotten all too quickly.

In fact sometimes people need a push to get out of their comfort zone, and it's only then that they realise that better things await.
 
I hope they remove the SuperDrive in the next 13". I can't see them doing it with the 15" and 17" immediately, but it'll certainly happen within a couple of revisions.

It's for the best, really.

:apple:
 
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As long as they lower the price on both the MBP and the SuperDrive
 
Macboy50 said:
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As long as they lower the price on both the MBP and the SuperDrive
Click to expand...

I would be fine with the same price on the comp as long as there is something good in its place and I think a 49 or 59 dollar price point for the superdrive would be good.
 
RaceTripper said:
Not if I don't have it with me. And that will be the case more often than not.
Click to expand...

You also couldn't do those things if you don't have the disks with you...

Forgetting your optical drive isn't a viable excuse to keep the drive inside the computer. Especially with how thin Apple makes the MBA optical drive. Most people carry their MBP's with them in a laptop case. An MBA sized optical drive will slip into pretty much any laptop case out there.
 
I love my SuperDrive, and as an audio producer, I use mine more often than most probably. The only way I'd want to give up the SuperDrive is if the CPU specs got a big fat bump, while keeping the price points the same. I'd trade my SuperDrive for a Quad Core 15". If it's just another minor boost, I want my SuperDrive to stay. I don't care about SSD right now because I need a 500GB internal drive at minimum. There's no way they are going to be putting 500GB SSD's in the 2011 lineup. lol.
 
langis.elbasunu said:
I actually do. I would rather they put a single slice toaster in its place than an optical drive.


Do people still use DVDs and if so, what for?


DO you believe that this form of media is becoming obsolete?



White or wheat toast?
Click to expand...

I just used the optical drive today because I had to repair my startup disk, which required the Mac OS X install DVD.

Apple is going to make you pay extra for something as basic as a DVD drive that every laptop has and needs ( an external drive if the DVD drive is removed ).

And how are you go install software without a DVD drive? ( legal ofcourse )
 
skiltrip said:
I love my SuperDrive, and as an audio producer, I use mine more often than most probably. The only way I'd want to give up the SuperDrive is if the CPU specs got a big fat bump, while keeping the price points the same. I'd trade my SuperDrive for a Quad Core 15". If it's just another minor boost, I want my SuperDrive to stay. I don't care about SSD right now because I need a 500GB internal drive at minimum. There's no way they are going to be putting 500GB SSD's in the 2011 lineup. lol.
Click to expand...


do you burn CDs from sessions? Hasnt the industry basically proved to itself that CD is dead? I do audio production as well and I would rather see it go away. external is fine with me.


Also, why do you need at least 500gb?
 
langis.elbasunu said:
do you burn CDs from sessions? Hasnt the industry basically proved to itself that CD is dead? I do audio production as well and I would rather see it go away. external is fine with me.


Also, why do you need at least 500gb?
Click to expand...

I burn off quick mixes onto CD all the time to listen in the car and on my stereo. For review purposes. It's quicker than putting a .wav on my iPod and plugging it in everywhere. But I could deal with an external if need be. Most time when I'm burning off a mix, I am at my desk, and I already have an external dvd burner there. So it wouldn't break me.

I also burn off DVD's of movies I've made in iMovie and stuff like that. It would make life slightly more inconvenient to have to go to my external for it, but like I said, a generous CPU upgrade would make it worth the effort.
 
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