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Remove Optical drive from MBP entirely

freddiecable

freddiecable

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 16, 2003
656
196
Sweden
I had a MBA. I needed more RAM, higher CPU and larger drive capacity. So I changed to MBP. What I dont need is the optical drive. Apple should ditch the optical drive in MBPs or at least have an option not having an optical. Instead more battery and 2 disk bays.

What u say?
 
An option would be nice, but not a complete removal. I still use my Optical drive once in a while. Enough that it would be a problem if it wasn't there.
 
freddiecable said:
I had a MBA. I needed more RAM, higher CPU and larger drive capacity. So I changed to MBP. What I dont need is the optical drive. Apple should ditch the optical drive in MBPs or at least have an option not having an optical. Instead more battery and 2 disk bays.

What u say?
Click to expand...

Won't happen from Apple. They like to 'keep it simple' in terms of options.

Besides, adding a second drive is a pretty easy mod. Additional battery capacity............ just get an external battery.
 
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just curious, but am i the only person who still uses this dvd drive? - i burned dvd's, watch dvd's, rip music.

it seems like all i see on these forums are people BEGGING apple to ditch the superdrive.
 
You mean like an optibay?

It's on my list of things to get with my new MBP... dual SSD's and an external optical drive when I need it sounds perfect to me...
 
Mac-key said:
just curious, but am i the only person who still uses this dvd drive? - i burned dvd's, watch dvd's, rip music.

it seems like all i see on these forums are people BEGGING apple to ditch the superdrive.
Click to expand...

I use mine all the time. Kids watch dvds, I played a cd through it today when my little one wanted to be with me when I was in computer room, burn dvds of kids videos for grandparents, etc. I'm hoping they someday upgrade them to blu-ray superdrives but I don't think that will happen. Why do people hate optical drives so much?
 
Mac-key said:
just curious, but am i the only person who still uses this dvd drive? - i burned dvd's, watch dvd's, rip music.

it seems like all i see on these forums are people BEGGING apple to ditch the superdrive.
Click to expand...

I think you bring up a great point. I didn't realize how much I really used my super drive until after I removed it and put in a second hard drive. However, I kept the mod because, not mater how I looked at it, that second internal SATA connection is always faster than an external hard drive... and the superdrive does not read or burn any slower on a USB connection.

So, I am in the camp of external dvd drives please.
 
mac8867 said:
I think you bring up a great point. I didn't realize how much I really used my super drive until after I removed it and put in a second hard drive. However, I kept the mod because, not mater how I looked at it, that second internal SATA connection is always faster than an external hard drive... and the superdrive does not read or burn any slower on a USB connection.

So, I am in the camp of external dvd drives please.
Click to expand...

Hear, hear!

I have an SSD for my Windows desktop and really want that SSD speed in my MacBook Pro but I keep my iTunes library on it and it just won't fit on any SSD costing less than $1,000. So I'd love to have a 160GB SSD + 750GB Western Digital hard disk combo and have the optical drive external. I already have an external optical drive so I can't wait for Apple to make its removal an option.

jackiecanev2 said:
You mean like an optibay?

It's on my list of things to get with my new MBP... dual SSD's and an external optical drive when I need it sounds perfect to me...
Click to expand...

Ditto, more or less.

Apple has already provided a MacMini option without an optical drive installed so I hope they're open to applying that idea to their portables too.
 
Mac-key said:
just curious, but am i the only person who still uses this dvd drive? - i burned dvd's, watch dvd's, rip music.

it seems like all i see on these forums are people BEGGING apple to ditch the superdrive.
Click to expand...

I still use the SuperDrive fairly frequently. Nonetheless, I think (for my uses) I'd be better off with switching to a second hard drive (or SSD,when the prices come down and the size increases) in the optical drive bay, and making my SuperDrive external.
 
Mirabella said:
I still use the SuperDrive fairly frequently. Nonetheless, I think (for my uses) I'd be better off with switching to a second hard drive (or SSD,when the prices come down and the size increases) in the optical drive bay, and making my SuperDrive external.
Click to expand...

without a doubt, to achieve the greatest performance possible from your macbook (pro), an SSD for the OS and applications is one of the important upgrades. In that configuration, putting a second hard drive in the optical bay keeps the laptop a "laptop" without the external drive cables. This is how I run mine, and I believe LOTS of other folks as well.

Of course, if you are one of those users that sits on the couch burning cd or dvd's or reading cd or dvd's, you might not like an external cd drive.
 
I've read all 32 pages of the big thread on doing this. I have a question about the stability of the optibays. I'm looking at buying the dirt cheap ebay one. Do i need to worry about the fact that i can bolt it into my new mbp or will it not cause problems.
 
I dont "hate" optical drives. I just rarely use it. So - like mentioned before in the thread - external USB-drive like they have for the MBA would fit me perfectly. I would prefer SSD and regular disk. I think it is only a question of time...especially in these times when we are dl'ing everything or carrying stuff on SD-cards.
 
Took mine out last night, look at how BIG the optical drive is! It was sitting in that entire black part next to where the normal HDD bay is. (not that little black part, that's the battery)

 
stevensteven123 said:
I use mine all the time. Kids watch dvds, I played a cd through it today when my little one wanted to be with me when I was in computer room, burn dvds of kids videos for grandparents, etc. I'm hoping they someday upgrade them to blu-ray superdrives but I don't think that will happen. Why do people hate optical drives so much?
Click to expand...

People don't hate optical drives, they just realize that disc media is a dying breed. Blurays are the last consumer based media that will be on discs I predict. In the near future, all software/movies/music will be purchased and downloaded off of the Internet. I use the optical drive on my Mbp maybe once a quarter. Hardly enough to justify it beIng there especially when it can be swapped for an SSD. I buy all my software online and download it online. The movies I purchase are ripped to my server via my desktop and the discs are never used again. For some people, there still exists a need but for a growing number of people, they are becoming a thing of the past.
 
freddiecable said:
I had a MBA. I needed more RAM, higher CPU and larger drive capacity. So I changed to MBP. What I dont need is the optical drive. Apple should ditch the optical drive in MBPs or at least have an option not having an optical. Instead more battery and 2 disk bays.

What u say?
Click to expand...

I completely agree. I want 2 HD/SSD bays in my MBP as well. And frankly, I think it is really only a matter of time before Apple offer that. It would be great if MBA DVD drive were compatible with MBP's. That way we could purchase a 2-drive bay config from Apple, and also get an add-on DVD drive.
 
What Apple really needs to do is remove the optical drive, move the HDD into where the optibay was, and then extend the battery into where the HDD was. That would make the battery life 15 hours for the 13", without changing the size or weight of the laptop much, if at all.

17 inch
13 inch

Just imagine the battery extending across the entire bottom portion of the laptop.
 
Since the HDD is a little smaller than the optibay, that would allow for a larger mainboard which could allow for a dedicated GPU on the 13" as well.
 
I would love if they gave us the option to ditch the optical bay and put a bigger battery in the place of it. I mean its what about 1/3 the size of the built in battery so if I already get about 7 hours of battery life when browsing the web then i should be able to get about 8-9 hours ( true battery life apple would likely rate it at about 11 hours lol ) I don't need a 2nd hard drive or SSD but would love for a bigger battery!
 
freddiecable said:
I had a MBA. I needed more RAM, higher CPU and larger drive capacity. So I changed to MBP. What I dont need is the optical drive. Apple should ditch the optical drive in MBPs or at least have an option not having an optical. Instead more battery and 2 disk bays.

What u say?
Click to expand...

I agree completely thats why my MBP doesn't have an Optical Drive, but a 500GB HDD and a 160GB SSD :cool:
 
They should offer a version of the 13" MBP with no superdrive, but instead 2 HDDs, bigger battery and 4 RAM slots. The body should also be anodized black and have a bigger screen (dunno if 14" would fit) with smaller bezels. Screen should also be matte. And the MacBook Air superdrive should work with it. :D

I'd buy that pretty much immediately.
 
brewno said:
Can you change that DVD drive for a Blu-ray drive? That'd be awesome.
Click to expand...

I know of no 9.5mm slot-loading Blu-ray drives.

mac8867 said:
Driver will be the question/issue
Click to expand...

Vendor drivers are pretty much unnecessary since they're included in OS X. Occasionally you'll find a device that doesn't work, but that the exception rather than the rule.
 
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