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Do you still use optical discs?

  • Yes, occasionally or often

    Votes: 49 33.6%
  • Yes, but very rarely

    Votes: 58 39.7%
  • No

    Votes: 33 22.6%
  • What is this "optical disc" you speak of?

    Votes: 6 4.1%

  • Total voters
    146

Macsonic

macrumors 68000
Sep 6, 2009
1,706
97
Do you still use optical discs in any of your computers at work or home.

I still use my blu-ray optical drive to archive important graphics, videos and finance statement files. I make 3 copies of my important files, a master copy, second copy on another hard drive and the third copy ripped in blu-ray discs. In case the second hard drive containing the second copy goes out of order, I still have the blu-ray.
 

Stefan johansson

macrumors 65816
Apr 13, 2017
1,294
607
Sweden
Only times I use optical discs,is when playing games on some old windows Xp computer. The MacBook I got never had a disc slot,and will probably never get one.
 

JMacHack

Suspended
Mar 16, 2017
1,965
2,420
I voted "no" in the sense that I wouldn't care if the mMP came without an optical drive.

Still, at my office, all of the photos are on optical discs, so I had to get an external disc drive for my MBP. Also, most of my music is on disc as well.

But I wouldn't care if the mMP had no optical drives at all. I can just plug in my external drive for the rare occasion that I would need a disc.
 

flowrider

macrumors 604
Nov 23, 2012
7,232
2,962
^^^^OK, so lemme see. You voted NO to "Do you still use optical discs?" Even though you do? You voted NO, because you don't care if your next Mac will have an internal BD or DVD drive. But, if it doesn't you will still use an external drive?

I think you answered a question that wasn't asked:oops:

Lou
 
Last edited:

JMacHack

Suspended
Mar 16, 2017
1,965
2,420
^^^^OK, so lemme see. You voted NO to "Do you still optical discs?" Even though you do? You voted NO, because you don't care if your next Mac will have an internal BD or DVD drive. But, if it doesn't you will still use an external drive?

I think you answered a question that wasn't asked:oops:

Lou
I thought the spirit of the thread was to gauge how many users would be affected by the removal of the optical drive. I voted "no" since I probably won't require an optical drive for much longer, and even if I do, I have an external one.
 
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flowrider

macrumors 604
Nov 23, 2012
7,232
2,962
^^^^Removal from what? I know of no current model Macintosh that comes with an integral optical drive. And again, IMO, you answered a question that wasn't asked. The question you answered was:

Would you be alarmed if the next Mac Pro did not include an internal optical drive?

Lou
 

Chancha

macrumors 68020
Mar 19, 2014
2,095
1,896
I work in audio / music recording related industries, I frequently rip audio CDs, burn CD-Rs (either audio masters or test copies), DVD-Rs for digital data delivery to pressing plants which still require a physical disc to be sent. I do these with the optical drives in my cMP, non-retina MacBook, and a USB Super Drive attached to a 2012 Mini (if only it still had an internal one). In fact both of my cMP optical bays are occupied, top one is the stock bottom one is a blu-ray writer.
 

fuchsdh

macrumors 68020
Jun 19, 2014
2,017
1,813
I use my DVD drive in my Mac tower pretty much solely to rip CDs. My XB1 handles any Blu Rays.
 

AidenShaw

macrumors P6
Feb 8, 2003
18,667
4,676
The Peninsula
^^^^Removal from what? I know of no current model Macintosh that comes with an integral optical drive. And again, IMO, you answered a question that wasn't asked. The question you answered was:

Would you be alarmed if the next Mac Pro did not include an internal optical drive?

Lou
The question should have been asked. It's the 900 lb gorilla in the room.

When confronted with a misleading or poorly worded questionnaire - everybody should be able to expand on the "missing" questions. Nobody should be criticized for thinking outside of the box.

Gorilla-room[1].jpg
 
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flowrider

macrumors 604
Nov 23, 2012
7,232
2,962
OK, I voted in the new poll, but IMO, this poll asked the more apropos question.

Lou
 

irked

macrumors member
Apr 8, 2017
55
30
I'm glad I answered this thread's question in the new thread. Great work on my part.
 

haralds

macrumors 68030
Jan 3, 2014
2,882
1,197
Silicon Valley, CA
Yes. I have the stock and a BlueRay on my Mac Pro and use them every other day for video work. I have two Apple USB DVD drives for MacBooks that see occasional use.
 
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slingshott

macrumors member
Jan 23, 2017
76
38
No, why would the average consumer need to in 2017? Anyone holding out for a drive on the next Mac Pro brace yourselves - They removed a headphone jack people actually used. Add in its long lifespan and it doesn't look good.
 

Porco

macrumors 68040
Mar 28, 2005
3,315
6,909
No, why would the average consumer need to in 2017? Anyone holding out for a drive on the next Mac Pro brace yourselves - They removed a headphone jack people actually used. Add in its long lifespan and it doesn't look good.

Sure, the "average consumer" might not be using optical discs in their computer in 2017, but then they are not buying a Mac Pro probably (especially not in 2017, or since about 2015 unless they really had to!!). That's part of the point of the machine really, isn't it? For users with decidedly non-average-consumer requirements. The average consumer doesn't buy Mac Pros. The average consumer buys a PC laptop that runs Windows and uses an Android phone.

It all depends on the design, but I think it would be nice if the next Mac Pro allows for some kind of optional optical drive to be installed, if that's what the user wants to use part of the space for. And it could be used for other things if not.

In the 2013 MP there was literally nowhere for it to go, or anything else of that size. If the 2018(/9?) MP is still so lacking in internal space it will indeed be disappointing. We'll see!

I could live with using an external optical drive if I had to, but I'd prefer an internal one if possible.
 
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rhett7660

macrumors G5
Jan 9, 2008
14,224
4,304
Sunny, Southern California
I have a Blu-Ray player in my Mac Pro - I use it on at least a weekly basis. If I'm not ripping my Blu-Ray/DVD purchases to iTunes, I am adding CDs to my iTunes collection.

I am a firm believer in physical media ownership.

This, I still rip all of my cd's, over 1300 of them, to my NAS box. I do have some downloads, but no where near the amount of physical files. I also rip DVD's and Blu-Ray's. Now have I written or copied anything to a physical optical disk? Not in a very long time. I usually use a thumb drive or if needed, load it up into drop box for sending out and or sharing.
 
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